Industry Music Education Type of business 501(c)3 | Founded 1998 | |
 | ||
Key people Jessica Anne Baron, Executive Director Services Music Education, Musical instrument provision Website www.guitarsintheclassroom.org Headquarters San Diego, California, United States Similar The Roots of Music, Sing For Hope, The My Hero Project, Little Kids Rock, Dallas Wind Symphony | ||
Guitars in the Classroom (GITC)(`get-see`) is a non-profit organization which seeks to train and equip classroom teachers in order to integrate singing and playing guitar into the daily school experience of schoolchildren. Founded in 1998, GITC produces programs over 30 states and several foreign countries. To date, the organization has positively impacted the lives of more than 100,000 students. The company's headquarters is located in San Diego, California.
Contents
GITC is supported in part by NAMM, The International Music Products Association, National Endowment for the Arts, Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation (founded by musician Jack Johnson), The D'Addario Music Foundation, The Bill Graham Memorial Foundation, The Wishlist Foundation, as well as individual donors.
History
Jessica Anne Baron started the GITC program largely in response to requests for musical training from classroom teachers in the schools where she served as a music specialist. She still directs the organization, which has expanded from its original base in the Santa Cruz area to spawning programs all across North America. Under the guidance of four regional directors, over 50 program coordinators and instructors (usually music specialists or local guitar instructors) train thousands of classroom teachers each year.
Mission
GITC’s mission is to train classroom teachers and specialists to transform their pre-k through junior high classrooms with creatively engaging, musically-infused lessons that inspire full student participation and promote successful learning. GITC programs seek to help educators with no prior musical experience to discover and develop their own musicality while learning to integrate music making across the academic curriculum through "song-based instruction." The goal is to provide students of all ages with every learning style with positive, participatory, educational, musical access at school every day.
Programs
GITC offers essential musical training that includes singing, basic acoustic guitar and song leading for adults who are either non-musicians or want to be better musicians in service to children and learning. GITC tailors the basic framework to the pace and curriculum to fit the participants in each group. Available programs include: "Strum & Sing" covering fundamental development, "Amigo Program" for English Learners, "Early Childhood Education" for those working with young children, and the "MIRSE" (pronounced `mercy`) for those working with Special Needs Individuals. GITC has also begun the integration of Ukulele training into many programs. Growth is organic, and programs in new locations often begin with an individual seeking to either teach or be taught.
Artist Outreach
GITC's Artists' Registry program has attracted many notable artists, who have donated their time to teach in the classroom. Some of the Artists involved include: