Fifteen Schools in Fifteen Years: Education Through Music Announces Addition of Four New Partner Schools

On the fifteenth anniversary of its inception, Education Through Music, Inc. (ETM), a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing comprehensive music instruction to inner-city children, is thrilled to announce the addition of four partner schools in New York City, bringing the total number of ETM partner schools to fifteen.

New York, NY (PRWEB) August 15, 2006 -- On the fifteenth anniversary of its inception, Education Through Music, Inc. (ETM), a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing comprehensive music instruction to inner-city children, is thrilled to announce the addition of four partner schools in New York City, bringing the total number of ETM partner schools to fifteen. Starting in September 2006, ETM’s music programming will be in P.S. 38 and P.S. 155 in East Harlem and at St. Anthony and St. Athanasius, two parochial schools in the South Bronx. The addition of these schools bring the total number of ETM partner schools to six in Manhattan, eight in the Bronx, and one in Brooklyn, which together serve over 7,500 students who would otherwise have limited or no exposure to the arts.

P.S. 38 and P.S. 155 each serve close to 500 children in grades Pre-Kindergarten through fifth. St. Anthony serves 225 students in grades Kindergarten through eighth, and St. Athanasius serves 360 children in grades Pre-Kindergarten through eighth. Every child at these schools, including those in Special Education, will receive weekly music instruction in general music, recorder and chorus from an ETM-trained teaching artist. All four partner schools embody ETM’s mission to provide a standards-based, sequential music education that reinforces essential cognitive skills. Since its founding in 1991, ETM has worked to enhance children’s academic performance and general development by promoting and providing the sustainable integration of music into the curricula of inner-city schools. By supporting students’ learning in music, ETM strengthens their ability to learn in all areas.

“We are thrilled to partner with four additional inner-city schools to help fulfill their vision of providing a skills-based music curriculum to every student,” stated Katherine Damkohler, Executive Director of Education Through Music. “As with every one of our partner schools, ETM will provide P.S. 38, P.S. 155, and St. Anthony and St. Athanasius schools with well-trained teachers and regular assessment.”

About the Schools:

P.S. 38 is located on East 103rd Street in East Harlem, New York. The school is dedicated to the educational development of all of its children through an atmosphere of cooperation, respect, and academic excellence. The principal of P.S. 38 is Norma Caraballo.

P.S. 155 is located on East 117th Street, also in East Harlem. The school is partnered with a number of arts-based organizations as part of its mission of ensuring that the educational needs of every child is met in order to ensure their successful participation in a diverse and increasingly challenging society. The principal of P.S. 155 is Alejandrina Hendrick.

St. Anthony school is located on Mansion Street in the South Bronx. The school is dedicated to improving its students’ academic and spiritual needs through a complete education, one that includes music and the arts. The principal of St. Anthony school is Frances Acosta.
St. Athanasius school is located on Southern Boulevard in the South Bronx. The school is committed to providing an effective and value-centered alternative system of education that emphasizes character, compassion, and values. The principal of the school is Marianne Kraft.

The addition of P.S. 38 and P.S. 155 bring ETM’s presence in East Harlem to five public and parochial elementary schools. All of these schools are located in and around in the triangular patch of East Harlem north of 119th Street and east of 1st Avenue that is the lowest-income census tract in the city, according to the latest Census report. St. Anthony and St. Athanasius schools are located in the South Bronx, which according to the Census report, is the poorest urban area of the country, with a poverty rate of over 30 percent.

About Education Through Music, Inc.
Founded in 1991, Education Through Music, Inc. (ETM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that promotes the sustainable integration of music into the curricula - including reading, social studies, math and science - of elementary and middle schools in order to enhance students' academic performance and general development. ETM is unique within the arts-in-education community for our focus on academics and changing the current state of the educational system. ETM’s unique methodology engenders systemic changes in teaching practices that help children learn, think and socialize better. ETM works with a variety of groups throughout the country, including individual schools, local and statewide education agencies, and arts and cultural organizations. We serve our partner schools from multiple angles and involve all members of the school community in reforming the school to incorporate the arts. Music is taught in its own right and also as a means of supporting learning in other areas. For more information, visit us at www.ETMonline.org.

Contact:
Emily Estock
(212) 972 4788

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Press Contact: Emily Estock
Company Name: Education Through Music, Inc.
Email: email protected from spam bots
Phone: 212-972-4788
Website: www.ETMonline.org