Music for Rural Schools

Anna's Bay is currently collaborating with the University of Washington's highly- repsected Music Education department to design and implement a daily in-school music program for the students of Hood Canal School. The program is being designed to meet the Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs) in the Arts, and to be resistant to the school budget issues that doom similar programs by operating somewhat independently as a private-public partnership. The program is truly a win-win-win as it will provide opportunities for practicum and advanced scholarship for the UW graduate students participating, while enriching our local student community with research-based music curriculum tailored to meet the needs of a rural population comprised of both tribal and non-tribal students. This is exciting enough. But the ultimate goal is to create a tried and tested program that Anna's Bay and the UW can eventually make available to other rural, single-school districts in Washington, and beyond.