The award-winning Donna E. Shalala MusicReach’s mission is to enrich the music education programming of economically disadvantaged youth in Miami-Dade County while providing top-notch educational opportunities for Frost School of Music students to develop their teaching and community engagement skills. A primary goal of MusicReach is to encourage the youth to stay in school and pursue a college degree. In recent years, 100% of MusicReach participants have graduated from high school and have been accepted to universities across the nation.
Since 2008, over 1,000 underprivileged elementary, middle, and high school participants have benefited from the Shalala MusicReach program every year. Students not only flourish in the mentoring program but also benefit from community outreach programs and the Shalala MusicReach Summer Institute offered by the Frost School of Music. High school music magnet programs are accepting more MusicReach participants than ever before. Graduates of the program have also received prestigious college scholarships, including to the Frost School of Music. According to a recent survey, parents and site administrators stated overwhelmingly that the program has helped their students develop important life skills such as motivation, confidence, leadership, and creativity.
Testimonials
