Celebrate Strings
Since 2006, the Reno Philharmonic’s Celebrate Strings program has been providing after-school violin instruction at Bernice Mathews Elementary School. Due to the great success the Reno Philharmonic was able to expand the program to Robert Mitchell and Lincoln Park Elementary in early 2011, and to Stead Elementary in November 2011. All four schools are designated Title 1 At Risk schools.
Two classes are presented four days per week at no charge to the student or family. During the 2010-11 school year, 121 students participated in Celebrate Strings. Each eight-week session concludes with a graduation ceremony and recital for parents, teachers and fellow students. This program provides an earlier introduction to strings than would likely be possible for children in this community.
In 2008, the Reno Philharmonic became Partners in Education with Bernice Mathews Elementary School. In 2009, the Reno Phil was awarded Contributor of the Year through the Washoe County School District’s “Team-Up” program for its Celebrate Strings program.
Scholarships for private lessons are also provided to excelling students. Four excelling Celebrate Strings scholarship recipients have gone on to perform in the Reno Philharmonic’s Youth Orchestra program. Celebrate Strings private lessons are taught by Youth Strings Symphonia conductor Carol Laube
What is Title I ?
According to Washoe County District, Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is a set of programs administered by the United States Department of Education to distribute funding to schools and school districts with a high percentage of students from low-income families.
.
