MENC: The National Association for Music Education Names Toyota Camry Music Education Fund Grant Recipients

Reston, VA. April 18, 2003 /PR Web/ -– MENC: The National Association for Music Education is pleased to announce the Toyota Camry Music Education Fund grant recipients. Launched in November 2001, the Camry Music Education Fund, sponsored by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., raised more than $170,000 to benefit America's at-risk, in-school music programs. Toyota partnered with MENC, the world's largest arts education association, to donate and distribute these funds through MENC's Fund for the Advancement of Music Education (FAME).

"We are very excited about the award. We commend MENC and the Toyota Camry Music Education Fund for recognizing the importance of supporting music education programs," says Jill Warzer, Music Curriculum Specialist for Baltimore City, Maryland public schools, one of the recipient school systems. According to Warzer, "The grant will be extremely helpful in providing excellent music programs to Baltimore City students."

"In a continued effort to help save at-risk school programs, we are happy to announce the Camry Music Education Fund grant recipients," says Tracy Underwood, National Manager, Corporate Contributions, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. "Along with our partner MENC, we hope this will create more opportunities to enhance much needed, in-school music programs."

The recipients of $50,000 grants include Baltimore City, Maryland Public Schools, and Wilbur Cross School, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The grant will serve 51,000 students in Baltimore, funding the purchase of ORFF Instruments for elementary schools. In Connecticut, the grant will serve 600 students with items ranging from ORFF instruments and choral risers to part-time instruction. In addition, two $35,000 grants were awarded; one to The Street Academy Charter School in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the other to Gilbert Stuart Middle School, in Providence, Rhode Island. The Street Academy Charter School grant will serve 200 students, but with more students benefitting in future years from reusable equipment. The Gilbert Middle School grant will serve several hundred students over many years with materials, supplies, instruments, and performances.

The Camry Music Education Fund raised money through an interactive and musical CD, titled Making Tracks. The CD featured music and interviews by Earth, Wind, and Fire; Jennifer Lopez; Lyle Lovett; the Go-Go's; and Kina. "I hope this substantive effort to improve music education programs, generously being led by Toyota Camry, will become a model for other corporations to emulate," says Ardene Shafer, MENC's assistant executive director of Member Programs and Publications. "This program will make a difference for tens of thousands of students across the country."
                                                                                         
Research indicates a positive relationship between studying music and developing spatial skills necessary for math and science learning and links between learning music and demonstrating creativity, discipline, and teamwork skills. MENC's mission is to ensure that all children have access to music education. "We are grateful to Toyota for establishing this much-needed grant initiative, and for working with us to advance music education in our nation's schools," says John J. Mahlmann, MENC's executive director. "Toyota's efforts helped raise a significant amount of money to sustain a number of music programs currently in jeopardy."

For more information, please contact Elizabeth Lasko at MENC, 703-860-4000, or by e-mail at elizabethl@menc.org.


MENC: The National Association for Music Education, the world's largest arts education organization, is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. Nearly 100,000 members represent all levels of teaching from preschool to graduate school. Since 1907, MENC has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers. MENC's activities and resources have been largely responsible for the establishment of music education as a profession, for the promotion and guidance of music study as an integral part of the school curriculum, and for the development of the National Standards for Arts Education.

Established in 1957, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc. is the sales, marketing, distribution and customer services arm of Toyota in the United States. Based in Torrance, CA, TMS employs approximately 6,000 employees nationwide. Last year, it sold more than 1.7 million vehicles through approximately 1,400 Toyota and Lexus dealers in the 49 continental states.





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