IBEW 26 Gives Students Gift of Music
Monday, December 23, 2013
(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Too often when school boards face budget
shortfalls, music education is
the first to go. But for Washington,
D.C. students, music in the classroom is alive and well thanks to a donation
from Local 26 and CBS
EcoMedia. The $30,000 grant to the non-profit organization Little
Kids Rock will train 20 new teachers in music education. The money also goes to
paying for upwards of 500 new instruments, including guitars, bass guitars,
drums and keyboards. “Little Kids Rock is so grateful that IBEW Local 26 has
chosen to support our kids’ right to rock!” said David Wish, executive
director of Little Kids Rock. Recently, Local 26 and EcoMedia visited Brightwood
Education Campus in Northwest D.C. to deliver some of the instruments and enjoy
a student concert. “Today it seems like kids are often isolated from each
other,” said Local 26 Business Manager Chuck Graham. “Music brings them
together and helps teach them the importance of team work.” Graham says Local
26 does most of electrical construction and maintenance work on D.C. public
schools and saw this as an opportunity to build upon that relationship. “It
says we care about the community we serve,” he said. Click here
to watch the students perform Rihanna’s “Diamonds.”