Dear String Education Advocate,
Thank you for your interest in the National String Project Consortium (NSPC) and our commitment to support String Projects around the country.
One of the critical issues facing the public schools today is the shortage of well-qualified teachers. This issue is particularly significant in the area of string education. As public schools across the country attempt to build and maintain their music programs, numerous jobs for string teachers go unfilled due to a lack of qualified professionals. School districts throughout the country are being compelled to hire teachers who are unprepared to teach strings in the public schools, with the result that children are poorly taught and school orchestra programs become substandard. Part of the problem stems from the fact that most colleges and music schools have traditionally supported string students who wish to become performance majors and have not done enough to encourage string students to become music education majors.
The NSPC is attempting to address this shortage of qualified string teachers with a plan that has established teacher-training programs at universities throughout the country. These “String Projects” are
- helping to alleviate the string teacher shortage
- encouraging string players to become string teachers
- providing financial incentives by offering assistantships to undergraduate string education majors
- offering supervised teaching experience for college students
- providing the opportunity for children to study string instruments
- helping stimulate the growth of new public-school orchestra programs around the country.
Below you will find information about the grant program, detailed information about the model on which NSPC projects are based, and an application form which you can use to apply for participation in this Consortium.
The application should be submitted through this grant application form. There is no draft or save feature on this application form. Prepare material in a separate document and copy-paste the answers into the online application form.
The $50 application fee may be paid online or by mail to:
National String Project Consortium
C/O Noah Rogoff
2506 12th Avenue
Kearney, NE 68849
If you would like more information, I can be contacted by email at nationalstringproject [at] gmail.com. Thank you for your interest.
Sincerely,
Dr. Elizabeth A. Reed, Executive Director
National String Project Consortium
Table of Contents
Part I: Description
- Background
- Definition
- Proposal
- Consortium
- Basic Proposal Requirements
- Site Requirements
- Setting up a String Project
- Projected Budget
Part II: The Model
- General Description
- The Teachers: Undergraduate and Graduate
- String Education Majors
- The Director and Master Teacher
- Program Structure
Part III: Application for Participation in National String Project Consortium
National String Project Consortium
Part I: Description
1. Background
According to research by Dr. Robert Gillespie (Ohio State University), the number of string students in the public schools increased by 79% between 1991 and 1995. Unfortunately, there has not been a similar increase in the number of string and orchestra teachers. According to Dr. James Kjelland (Northwestern University) in American String Teacher, Spring 1996 “The shortage of string teachers is a major topic of concern today, and the long-term solution would be to recruit more string education majors to our colleges.”
In the article “Wanted Nationwide: Qualified String Teachers” (Notes, Autumn, 1996), Mary Wagner, the current ASTA president, wrote that “states such as Arizona, Texas, and Virginia could not fill the positions they had open this past year by the first day of school…..The population of string teachers is aging and the number of new string education graduates does not meet current demands.”
More recent research in 2010 by Michael Alexander (Baylor) and Bret Smith (Central Washington U) shows that there would be 3,000 string teaching positions needing to be filled by 2013.
A key component to the success of public-school programs is the existence of universities and music schools with a strong commitment to the training of string teachers. There must be cooperative university-public school partnerships to train qualified teachers and to provide these teachers with the support services they need to be effective. Universities have not always understood their role in this relationship, and must be strongly encouraged to foster the training of competent string teachers as well as fine performers. Too often universities have paid lip service to the idea of educating quality string teachers. Few universities have the necessary methods courses needed to prepare students adequately for teaching. Fewer have string education specialists. And although most colleges give scholarships to performance majors, almost none offer stipends specifically targeted for string students who want to major in music education. This sends the wrong message to people about the need for qualified teachers. The National String Project Consortium grant program will address that problem by providing assistantship money to music education majors.
2. Definition
According to Greg Hurley, an alumnus teacher of the University of Texas at Austin String Project program founded in 1948, in his article on string projects in the November 1998 edition of American String Teacher journal, the “guiding principle…. of a string project is to provide college string majors with teaching experiences while providing pedagogy classes or supervision over a number of semesters in order to prepare the college students for private or public-school teaching while promoting the talents of precollege string students.”
The model for this proposal is the U of SC String Project at the University of South Carolina. This program, now in its 44th year, has 27 undergraduate students as teachers, and about 250 children (beginning in the 3rd grade) studying string instruments. With this practical hands-on training during their college years, the undergraduates who teach in the program gain valuable experience prior to taking a job. It also attracts string players to the teaching profession by providing them with the opportunity to teach under supervision. In addition, music education majors discover whether they enjoy teaching by doing it; those that discover that they do not want to make it their career may decide to change their majors before getting their first job.
3. Proposal
This proposal envisions the creation of String Projects in every state which will be centers of excellence in the training of string teachers around the country. Each site will receive up to 5 years of grant support from the NSPC, to be matched each year by $10,000 from the host college. The grant money would be reduced over the 5-year period in order to encourage the String Project to increase its number of students in order to become self-sufficient. The university’s match may include the income from the fees charged for the lessons and classes, salary for the director and/or master teacher, and in-kind expenses (secretarial help, materials, postage, copies, use of space, etc.) for running the program. The grant money could help pay for a Master Teacher and for assistantships for the undergraduate students who are the actual teachers. The institution will be responsible for providing the necessary string faculty to teach violin, viola, cello and bass as well as music education faculty to teach methods courses, technique courses and string pedagogy. The colleges will also be expected to provide the space for the Project’s classes and lessons. The institution should also consider an action plan to maintain sites even when there may be unforeseen personnel changes.
Selection as a new site in the NSPC does not “guarantee” availability of grant money. Once the sites are selected then we begin the process of applying for grant money from foundations and corporations. In some cases, this can take a few years. However, many sites accepted into the NSPC have started operations on their own before receiving grant funds.
The colleges/universities are chosen through a competitive selection process. Consideration will be given to the following issues: size of community, potential for young students in the program, necessary facilities, required faculty and courses, financial commitment for ten years, presence of a potential Master Teacher (a well-respected, experienced string teacher who has taught in the public schools), contingency plans for changes in personnel, among others.
4. Consortium
The National String Project Consortium (NSPC) is a coalition of String Project sites at universities, in association with businesses, professional music organizations, and individuals who support our goals. The NSPC is dedicated to increasing the number of children playing stringed instruments, and addressing the critical shortage of string teachers in the US.
The National String Project Consortium is a loose association of String Projects. They interact, exchange ideas and learn from each other, but each String Project operates completely independently. Each college or university that is chosen to participate in the Consortium will be responsible for its own program.
The Consortium was originally formed in 1998 under the auspices of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). It is now an independent non-profit association of 41 universities working together with ASTA and other music organizations to serve string education and string development across the United States
Since its inception, the NSPC has been responsible for the stringed instrument education of well over 10,000 children of public-school age in 41 sites around the United States. The NSPC’s teacher training program has reached over 400 string music education students in the sponsoring colleges and universities and assisted with the education of well over 200 new teachers public school teachers.
The NSPC is actively involved in seeking grants and gifts to assist the current String Project sites in continuing to provide high quality education and training, and also help provide start up assistance to those institutions seeking to create new sites. Since 1999, the NSPC has received grants totaling about $3.2million from various agencies, including: Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation, Dana Foundation, D’Addario, FIPSE, Knight Foundation, Madeline Crouch and Associates, Music Lives, National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), NABIM, NEA, Psaris, Strings Magazine, the Yamaha Corporation, Talty Foundation, and William Harris and Lee.
5. Basic Proposal Requirements
Because this is considered a “dissemination program” based on the success of a proven model, several key elements must be part of your proposal for this grant. Although the specific design of each String Project may vary from program to program, the following requirements must be part of any proposal:
- the children who are students in the String Project must enter the program through the heterogeneous beginning class. Since this program is intended to prepare teachers for public school jobs, the emphasis is on the large heterogeneous class, as well as small homogeneous classes, orchestras, and private lessons
- grant funding may help to pay for undergraduate string assistantships or stipends in order to attract students to the profession of string teaching
- the program takes place at the college or university, after school hours
- the program utilizes a Master Teacher with public school teaching experience
- the children who are students in the String Project participate in their own school programs. The String Project must be viewed as a supplement to the public-school program, not as competition.
- the program is not part of the regular college curriculum, but rather serves to supplement the university coursework
- the program charges low fees to students in order to ensure the necessary numbers of students and in order to allow participation by low income students. Sites should also offer tuition scholarships or other assistance to ensure affordability.
- each university site will be required to commit at least $10,000 yearly for the first five years towards this program, at which point the site should be financially self-sustaining.
6. Site Requirements
Main considerations for site selection include:
- size of community (large enough to attract a pool of participants – eventually targeting 120 or more children)
- proximity of town/city to campus (easy access to the school by the community)
- necessary facilities at the college (2-3 large rooms for heterogeneous classes of 20-30 children; several smaller rooms for homogeneous classes of 10 children; space for private lessons)
- college faculty and courses (music education, violin, viola, cello and bass faculty)
- availability of a potential Master Teacher in the area (one with significant public-school experience)
- college students who are teaching in the program will be evaluated regularly by supervising teachers, including the Master Teacher
- financial commitment from institution of $10,000 per year; see Model and Sample Budget
- support for the proposal by local school districts and string teachers – they must understand that this proposal will supplement rather than compete with existing school programs
- states/regions that do not currently have strong music education string programs might be considered well-suited for such a program.
The Master Teacher should be an experienced local public-school string teacher who knows how to teach strings in heterogeneous groups. The time commitment will be about four hours per week. The Master Teacher will teach one class (twice weekly) as a model, and will observe and supervise the college undergraduates who teach their own classes.
The String Project should have a Director who is a faculty or staff member of the college music school. This person will be in charge of organizing the program, setting policy, and supervising the young teachers. The Director is not necessarily a music education specialist; however, it should be someone who has good organizational skills and who is interested in promoting the development of string teachers. The institution should also consider an action plan to maintain sites even when there may be unforeseen personnel changes in the director.
7. Setting up a String Project
This plan envisions the following possible scenario for each site:
| Year | Hiring | Recruiting | Classes | Approx. # of students |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Master Teacher 6 undergraduate student teachers | Recruit in local public, private, home schools; Website/E-blasts; Ads/Flyers in media, area | 2 beginning classes | 30 children in program (15 in each class) |
| 2 | Master Teacher 7 undergraduate student teachers | Recruit in local public, private, home schools; Website/E-blasts; Ads/Flyers in media, area | 2 beginning classes 1 2nd year class 1 2nd year Orchestra | 60 children (35 beginning and 25 2nd year) |
| 3 | Master Teacher 8 undergraduate student teachers | Recruit in local public, private, home schools; Website/E-blasts; Ads/Flyers in media, area | 3 beginning classes 2nd year classes Private lessons Orchestra | 85 children (35 beginning, 30 2nd year, 20 3rd year) |
| 4 | Master Teacher 9 undergraduate student teachers | Recruit in local public, private, home schools; Website/E-blasts; Ads/Flyers in media, area | 3 beginning classes 2nd year classes Private lessons 2 Orchestras | 110 children (40 beginning, 30 2nd year, 25 3rd year, 15 4th year) |
| 5 | Master Teacher 10 undergraduate student teachers | Recruit in local public, private, home schools; Website/E-blasts; Ads/Flyers in media, area | 3 beginning classes 2nd year classes Private lessons 2 Orchestras | 115 children (40 beginning, 30 2nd year, 25 3rd year, 15 4th year, 5 5th year) |
| 6 | Master Teacher 10 undergraduate student teachers | Recruit in local public, private, home schools; Website/E-blasts; Ads/Flyers in media, area | 3 beginning classes 2nd year classes Private lessons 2 Orchestras | 121 children (40 beginning, 30 2nd year, 25 3rd year, 15 4th year, 10 5th year, 1 6th year) |
At this point, each institution would decide whether to continue the program at this level, or to increase the number of undergraduate students and children in order to make it larger and more effective.
A multi-year commitment is needed in order to fully develop the programs and to establish these centers as a permanent part of the university’s mission to the community.
The institution should also consider an action plan to maintain sites even when there may be unforeseen personnel changes.
Success in this project will be measured in terms of the number and quality of the teachers who are being trained in the programs, the number of program graduates who then accept full-time employment as string teachers, as well as the number of children who are studying through the programs. It is hoped that new String Project sites will themselves become models for others so that every state will ultimately have at least one such program in order to train teachers and fully staff string programs in all the schools.
8. Projected Budget
The following sample budgets for the first six years of a String Project give projected income and expenses for the program. However, each site may determine its own budget, based on local considerations. These sample budgets, based on model programs, such as the USC String Project, employ the following assumptions:
- the undergraduate students who are teaching in the String Projects will receive stipends of $2,000 per year for what is considered to be a ten-hour work-week. (Although the students actually teach only six hours per week, they are given credit for time spent planning, recruiting, organizing their student recitals, doing paperwork, etc. See explanation under Model).
- the number of students in the program is based on the estimates given in the previous section on “Setting up a String Project”.
- recommended community student fee schedule:
- First-year students: $75 per semester
- Second-year students: $80 per semester
- Third-year students: $85 per semester
- Fourth-year students: $90 per semester
- Fifth-year students: $100 per semester
- Sixth-year students: $100 per semester
- the university’s financial commitment may include cash, in-kind costs such as secretarial fees, website, facilities, etc. Also, may include any university compensation through salary and/or course releases for the Master Teacher/and or Director, if a faculty member is in this role.
| Year 1 | ||
| Expenses: | ||
| 6 undergraduate student teachers @ $2000 per teacher | $12,000 | |
| Master Teacher (for four hours/week) | $5,000 | |
| Start-up Expenses (participant scholarships, music/classroom materials, secretary fees, stands, chairs, publicity, etc.) | $7,500 | |
| $24,500 | ||
| Income: | ||
| Grant | $10,000 | |
| 30 children participating @ $75/semester X 2 semesters | $4,500 | |
| University funding | $10,000 | |
| $24,500 | ||
| Year 2 | ||
| Expenses: | ||
| 7 undergraduate student teachers @ $2,000 per teacher | $14,000 | |
| Master Teacher (for four hours/week) | $5,000 | |
| Continuing Expenses (participant scholarships, music/classroom materials, secretary fees, stands, chairs, publicity, etc.) | $6,900 | |
| $25,900 | ||
| Income: | ||
| Grant | $6,650 | |
| 35 children participating @ $75/semester X 2 semesters | $5,250 | |
| 25 children participating @ $80/semester X 2 semesters | $4,000 | |
| University funding | $10,000 | |
| $25,900 | ||
| Year 3 | ||
| Expenses: | ||
| 8 undergraduate student teachers @ $2,000 per teacher | $16,000 | |
| Master Teacher (for four hours/week) | $5,000 | |
| Continuing Expenses (participant scholarships, music/classroom materials, secretary fees, stands, chairs, publicity, etc.) | $6,700 | |
| $27,700 | ||
| Income: | ||
| Grant | $4,250 | |
| 35 children participating @ $75/semester X 2 semesters | $5,250 | |
| 30 children participating @ $80/semester X 2 semesters | $4,800 | |
| 20 children participating @ $85/semester X 2 semesters | $3,400 | |
| University funding | $10,000 | |
| $27,700 | ||
| Year 4 | ||
| Expenses: | ||
| 9 undergraduate student teachers @ $2,000 per teacher | $18,000 | |
| Master Teacher (for five hours/week) | $6,000 | |
| Continuing Expenses (participant scholarships, music/classroom materials, secretary fees, stands, chairs, publicity, etc.) | $6,600 | |
| $30,600 | ||
| Income: | ||
| Grant | $2,650 | |
| 40 children participating @ $75/semester X 2 semesters | $6,000 | |
| 30 children participating @ $80/semester X 2 semesters | $4,800 | |
| 25 children participating @ $85/semester X 2 semesters | $4,250 | |
| 15 children participating @ $90/semester X 2 semesters | $2,700 | |
| Local fundraising | $200 | |
| University funding | $10,000 | |
| $30,600 | ||
| Year 5 | ||
| Expenses: | ||
| 10 undergraduate student teachers @ $2,000 per teacher | $20,000 | |
| Master Teacher (for five hours/week) | $6,000 | |
| Continuing Expenses (participant scholarships, music/classroom materials, secretary fees, stands, chairs, publicity, etc.) | $4,400 | |
| $30,400 | ||
| Income: | ||
| Grant | $1,100 | |
| 40 children participating @ $75/semester X 2 semesters | $6,000 | |
| 30 children participating @ $80/semester X 2 semesters | $4,800 | |
| 25 children participating @ $85/semester X 2 semesters | $4,250 | |
| 15 children participating @ $90/semester X 2 semesters | $2,700 | |
| 5 children participating @ $100/semester X 2 semesters | $750 | |
| Outside Local support | $800 | |
| University funding | $10,000 | |
| $30,400 | ||
| Year 6 | ||
| Expenses: | ||
| 10 undergraduate student teachers @ $2,000 per teacher | $20,000 | |
| Master Teacher (for five hours/week) | $6,000 | |
| Continuing Expenses (participant scholarships, music/classroom materials, secretary fees, stands, chairs, publicity, etc.) | $4,950 | |
| $30,950 | ||
| Income: | ||
| Grant | $0 | |
| 40 children participating @ $75/semester X 2 semesters | $6,000 | |
| 30 children participating @ $80/semester X 2 semesters | $4,800 | |
| 25 children participating @ $85/semester X 2 semesters | $4,250 | |
| 15 children participating @ $90/semester X 2 semesters | $2,700 | |
| 10 children participating @ $100/semester X 2 semesters | $2,000 | |
| 1 child participating @ $100/semester X 2 semesters | $200 | |
| Outside Local support | $1,000 | |
| University funding | $10,000 | |
| $30,950 |
Part II: The String Project Origins and Model
This proposal builds on the experience and success of the String Project at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina, which first began in 1974. In a city which had few cultural opportunities and no history of string playing, the university created a program that trained teachers, nurtured young students, engendered the creation of public-school programs in the area, and fostered a university-public school partnership. The results worked to the advantage of all, including the students, the university, public schools, the local symphony, and the general cultural climate.
Today, over forty National String Project Consortium member sites around the U.S. String Project sites have built on the successes of this initial project. String Project sites continue to benefit students and teachers in many ways, and been helpful to public school music programs, universities, community musical organizations as well countless children and their families.
1. General Description
The String Project model is designed to emulate a standard, public school string program. Children begin in heterogeneous classes, then progress to homogeneous class and ensembles, combined with private lessons.
A primary goal of the model is to provide practical hands-on training for string majors during their college years. Therefore, instruction is provided by undergraduate and graduate music students (with a particular emphasis on undergraduate music education majors), under the supervision of university faculty and experienced teacher-mentors (String Project Director and Master Teachers).
Equally important is the emphasis on accessibility and affordability for all interested students. Therefore, the String Project model is based on low tuition costs, as well as the opportunity for tuition scholarships and/or instrument loan. It is important for sites to facilitate participation by all children, regardless of their social or economic situation.
2. The Teachers: Undergraduate and Graduate String Education Majors
The teachers in the program are generally undergraduate and graduate string majors with a particular emphasis on music education students. The String Project is not part of the regular undergraduate curriculum. Instead teachers are accepted to teach in the program and paid a stipend for their work. The String Project teaching stipend can used as a means to encourage students to consider music education as a major, and to prepare them for a successful career in teaching. Teachers often start out as assistant teachers, and progress to greater responsibilities, based on their ability, professional goals and the needs of the program.
The university students study their own major instruments, and follow their university’s curriculum in obtaining their degree. The String Project teachers also attend a weekly organization and pedagogical meeting. They actively participate in all the activities of a professional teacher: recruiting students, planning lessons, writing report cards, keeping records, conducting orchestras, teaching beginning classes, teaching smaller homogeneous second-year classes, coaching chamber music, teaching private lessons, setting up rehearsals, organizing recitals, etc. By the time they graduate, these students have had four or five years of practical training and experience and are ready to begin a career.
Through the String Project model, teachers in the program typically work 10 hours per week: 6 as contact hours (teaching hours) and four counted for planning/prep. Teacher responsibilities include teaching and assisting in classes, ensembles and lessons; planning classes and preparing teaching material; giving and receiving feedback on teaching; administrative and clerical duties; contacting parents and students as needed; planning and participating in concerts and performances.
3. The Director and Master Teacher
The Master Teacher is most typically a part-time instructor who has extensive teaching experience in the public schools and can serve as a mentor to String Project teachers. The Master Teacher serves as a teaching model for the university students, supervises the instruction of the teachers, and meets weekly with teacher to plan classes, prepare material and provide feedback.
The program director determines the structure of the program and oversees its implementation and reports on the string project to the National String Project Consortium. The Director also serves as the liaison between the university and the String Project.
4. Program Structure
Different String Project sites have developed a program structure that best suits their needs and facilities. In the String Project model, children in the third and fourth grades are recruited from local public and private schools to study in the String Project. Beginning group classes meet twice each week. This format continues for the first two years of participation in the program. After two years of group instruction, students begin private lessons and participate in ensembles. Generally, students also receive weekly half-hour lessons at this point.
In addition, students may participate in theory classes, chamber music ensembles or alternative styles ensembles based on the needs and interests of each site.
All students in the program are required to participate in their own school programs (if a program exists) in order to be in the String Project.
Part III: Application for String Project Grant
The online application form does not have a draft or save feature. Prepare material in a separate document (download doc file of application questions here) and copy-paste the answers into the online application form. The application fee payment can be made online via PayPal/credit card upon submission of the online application form or by mail to:
National String Project Consortium
C/O Noah Rogoff
2506 12th Avenue
Kearney, NE 68849
The University of South Carolina String Project, now in its 44thyear, has won national recognition, including the Verner Award and a documentary on South Carolina ETV celebrating the 20th anniversary of the program. When the University of South Carolina String Project was founded in 1974 there was just one small string program in the Columbia metropolitan area. Now all five school districts in the Columbia area have large and active string programs, with orchestras in every high school and six regional youth orchestras.