American Express has announced the top fifty semi-finalists in its philanthropic "Member's Project." A major music education initiative is one of the finalists!
American Express, a USA based credit card company, has announced its list of fifty semi-finalists to be voted on by card members in its "Member's Project." The list of fifty was selected from thousands of community based suggestions for charitable funding. An advisory panel narrowed the list down, and among the semi-finalists is an initiative to:
- “Preserve Music Education in Our Schools – While the infrastructure of music programs in schools already exists, this project proposes that The Member’s Project supplements adequate funding to strengthen music education.”
A more detailed look at this specific project is available courtesy of the Member's Project web site:
Young Audiences (YA), the nation's leading source of arts-in-education programs and services, is committed to providing music education to young people. Among our national initiatives is the groundbreaking Arts for Learning project, which includes a substantial music education component. YA's Arts for Learning project provides an effective way to implement the "Preserve Music Education in Our Public Schools" idea for the American Express Members Project.
Arts for Learning is a two-year-old YA project designed to improve students' reading and writing abilities in grades 3-6, using music and other art forms. An independent evaluation of the fall 2006 field test of the first two Arts for Learning units of instruction in four school districts within three local YA chapters demonstrated positive, measurable effects of the Lessons on students' reading and writing.
To read the rest of the article please visit the project site.
American Express card members can go to the Members Project web site and register their vote. Each vote cast will add one dollar to the donation to that cause. The winning project will receive at least one million dollars in donations and up to five million dollars depending on card member response.
“Our Cardmembers are passionate about making a difference, expressing their ideas and supporting causes that are important to them, which was clear from the more than 7,000 project ideas submitted to The Members Project,” said Jud Linville, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Consumer Business, American Express. “We’re encouraging all Cardmembers to make their voices heard by voting for the idea they want American Express to make a reality -- the power is in their hands.”
If you are an American Express card holder get out there and register before the deadline on August 5th! It's easy, free, and a great way to help bolster music education in our country.
