San Diego Youth Symphony is committed to making music education accessible and affordable. We support many school programs across San Diego County to help in their development or expansion of in-school music.
Chula Vista Elementary School District
SDYS has provided after-school programs and in-school 3rd grade and kindergarten pilot programs in Chula Vista Elementary School District (CVESD), which have led to site-based and district-wide investments across the district to hire full-time music teachers and the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA). After over 20 years, CVESD hired its first VAPA Coordinator in 2014. We are proud of our many past SDYS teaching artists who now fill these VAPA certified teaching and staff positions.
SDYS also loans out instruments directly to Chula Vista schools in order for them to be used by the in-school music teachers. Orff instruments, recorders, percussion instruments, African drums, and keyboard labs are all examples of SDYS-owned instruments that are being played by Chula Vista students.
School District Visual and Performing Arts Strategic Planning
SDYS has participated in the creation of school district Visual and Performing Arts Strategic Plans in Chula Vista and San Marcos. These plans guide the multi-year expansion of arts education district-wide to ensure equitable access for all children. SDYS works closely with Arts Empower San Diego to rally every school district in San Diego County to complete a VAPA Strategic Plan.
City Heights Schools
SDYS works specifically with in-school music teachers in the City Heights neighborhood to support excellent learning opportunities for their students. Through a long and rich partnership with Price Philanthropies, the City Heights in-school music cluster has received financial and educational support for its music programs. Funds from Price Philanthropies are used for a variety of things such as the repair or purchase of new instruments, to support instrumental or vocal Teaching Artists to work directly with students, and for transportation for music groups to attend special music festivals, events, and competitions. Music teachers from City Heights schools meet on a quarterly basis with VAPA leadership, Price Philanthropies staff, and SDYS staff for purposeful planning and communication to further music education in the neighborhood.
The Youth Symphony manages the grant between Price Philanthropies and the City Heights schools. In addition, SDYS facilitates quarterly meetings with music teachers, makes instrument loans to individual schools, and provides concert production assistance.
To learn more about partnership opportunities with SDYS please contact Kaitlyn Korogy de Guarneros, Community Opus Program Manager at kkorogy@sdys.org.
