The Clarke County School District has been awarded the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for the 12th consecutive year. This designation, now in its 25th year, awards school districts around the country that excel in providing music access and education to all students.
CCSD qualified by submitting detailed information on funding, participation, facilities, and community support, which was verified by school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.
Responses were verified by school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.
“Music education nurtures essential life skills that benefit children beyond the classroom, shaping well-rounded individuals,” said Dan Smith, CCSD’s Fine Arts, Health, and PE Curriculum Coordinator. “We are fortunate to have a local community that values the arts, and we appreciate the support from everyone. CCSD is truly better together through music and the arts.”
According to research out of The NAMM Foundation, music education enhances speech processing, reading scores, as well as graduation and college attendance rates in students who are involved in music.
“Later in life, individuals who took music lessons as children show stronger neural processing of sound. Young adults and even older adults who have not played an instrument for up to 50 years show enhanced neural processing compared to their peers,” The NAMM Foundation stated.
The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants. The foundation advances participation in music making by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving, and public service programs. For more information about The NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.
