Gilbert Public Schools Receive Arts Education Grant

Gilbert, AZ – Mesquite Junior High School, Gilbert Elementary School, and Mesquite High School Orchestra students will benefit from a $22,500 grant from the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to set up an after-school orchestra mentoring program. The Title V Arts Education Initiative grant will provide scholarships for a variety of after-school orchestra enrichment activities, such as private tutoring and participation in youth orchestras, chamber music, or weekend music festivals.

The “Mesquite Orchestra Student Mentoring Project” is based on the premise that if sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade orchestra students from low-income families are matched with a mentor, they will be more likely to succeed and remain in orchestra programs through high school-the years when organized music programs play a big role in keeping kids out of trouble. In addition to providing scholarships so students may receive private lessons from professionals, the program will train orchestra students from Mesquite High School to become mentors and advocates for the younger students. The grant will also be used to hire professional musicians to come to Mesquite Junior High School on a weekly basis to coach small groups.

The ADE Title V Arts Education Initiative was created to identify, support, and document models of high-quality, sustainable arts education programs in the state of Arizona which can be held up as Promising Practices-that is, as models to share with other schools and districts across the state. In making the grants available, the ADE noted that the arts can reach students who are not normally reached during other school activities, and that the arts are a core academic subject as defined by No Child Left Behind and mandated in Arizona’s State Board Rule. The Mesquite Orchestra Student Mentoring Project was one of 13 out of 39 applications chosen through a competitive application process to receive grants ranging from $15,000-$25,000.

Gilbert Public Schools
140 S. Gilbert Rd.
Gilbert, AZ 85296