Outreach
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The Foundation’s Outreach Programmes reach over 920 non-fee paying students from low income families in municipal schools managed by the NGOs we partner with. The schools and NGOs the Foundation works with include:
- Aseema Charitable Trust: Early music education is delivered on a weekly basis in these schools where we teach music to a progression of classes at municipal schools. Students we reach are under the age of 8 at three municipal schools managed by Aseema Charitable Trust: the Santacruz Municipal School where we teach 6 classes of 30 students each, the Pali Chimbai Municipal School where we teach 8 classes of 40 students and the Kherwadi Municipal School where we teach 5 classes of 40 students each and 4 classes of 30 students each.Our teachers have noted the benefits that both young children and teacher trainees have drawn from these classes, not only in terms of musicality and the enjoyment of participation, but also because these classes have helped them in their confidence, in their ability to focus, to listen and with their concentration.
- Muktangan: The Foundations deliver intensive music training to teacher trainees in the Muktangan Teacher Training Programme year-on-year. Muktangan, an NGO, runs seven municipal schools in the mill area at Parel.Over 70 teacher trainees are offered training at the start of each year and selected teachers amongst these are then trained rigorously as the year progresses. These selected music teachers reach students in 7 municipal schools managed by Muktangan.
- St. Stephen’s High School: Twenty four students from both the primary and secondary sections of the school are in an instrument programme with the Foundation and have classes four days a week. Students learn violin, viola and cello. Students who learn musical instruments benefit from increased memory capacity, learn time management skills and perseverance, improved reading and mathematical skills and develop sharpened concentration.
Our programmes have also greatly enhanced students’ and teacher trainees’ language development and speaking skills and markedly boosted the development of young children’s small and large motor skills. Selected students in our outreach programmes are offered short term choral music training yearly and participate each year in our annual Singing Tree choral music concert.