The Florida International University’s School of Music moves full steam ahead with an array of arts education initiatives by partnering with organizations such as the National String Project Consortium, the Miami Music Project, and most recently, The Johnny Mercer Foundation. These partnerships are all aimed at improving the lives of K-12 public school children, in addition to offering professional development and scholarship opportunities for FIU School of Music students.
The collaboration between The Johnny Mercer Foundation and the FIU School of Music will result in an annual scholarship fund of $20,000 dollars for Music Education Masters candidates through The Johnny Mercer Fellows in Music Education Program. Student beneficiaries of the program will be responsible for implementing educational curriculum throughout Miami-Dade County Public Schools using “Accentuate the Positive”, a student activity guide that explains how a song is born, how music and lyrics are conceived and written, and how these songs reflect our passions and ideals. According to educator Patrick Schmidt, “The fellowship program will serve as a crucial element leading to the implementation of instructional materials, professional opportunities for music and language arts teachers, and the development of innovative curricular opportunities.”
To learn more about The Johnny Mercer Fellows Foundation, contact Patrick Schmidt at pschmi@fiu.edu.
Click here to download the “Accentuate the Positive” activity guide.
