BUSD board indicates support for future STEM&M grant

The National Endowment for the Arts has an “Our Town” program which integrates music with science, technology, engineering, and math. The Fallbrook Music Society is partnering with the Pala Band of Mission Indians to obtain a Science, Technology, Engineering, Math & Music grant and would like to work with Vivian Banks Charter School for a STEM&M grant.

Although no proposal requiring an official Bonsall Unified School District vote has been brought forth, the BUSD board addressed the situation as a discussion item during its Jan. 9 meeting and supported the district’s involvement in concept.

“We’re very interested,” said BUSD superintendent Justin Cunningham. “We would definitely want to support the Fallbrook Music Society in that grant application.”

The Our Town grant program supports projects which help enhance communities with the arts at their core. Under the program all grant awards must be made to a partnership which consists of a local government and a non-profit arts and design cultural organization. Although a school district is not a qualifying local government, an Indian tribal government is eligible for the partnership. The two primary partners must consist of one non-profit cultural organization and one local government, but school districts, business organizations, or community organizations may be additional partners.

The goal of the STEM&M program is to increase the number of students participating in middle school music programs. Studies have shown that high school students who participate in music programs have greater academic success, and the STEM&M program provides functional applications for science, technology, engineering, and math through the connection to music.

“It’s a concept that has the potential to be a program that can be of real value to schools,” said Fallbrook Music Society executive director Ann Murray.

The Fallbrook Music Society notes that starting students in music at the elementary school level increases their chances of being involved in a middle school or high school music program. “We want to grow this from the bottom up. We see that as our role,” Murray said.

Each STEM&M module highlights a single aspect of the math and science connection and includes a grade-appropriate curriculum component, an applied learning model with hands-on experiments and other activities which translate the STEM&M concepts into real-world settings. Each module culminates in a “festival”-type music concert which provides practical demonstration of the module.

“Every module is going to have an academic component as well as a music component,” Murray said.

The Fallbrook Music Society has proposed four core modules. “Mozart and Math Mania” includes the identification of musical length notes and their basis in multiplication and rhythm-based sequences. “We can bring these math principles to life in a way that’s more engaging for these kids,” Murray said.

“The Science of Sound” addresses sound waves from a physics as well as a musical instrument perspective. “Tech-notes” focuses on digital and computerized instruments and sounds and their impact on audiences. “Sound Engineering” covers the engineering initiatives of sound from early music history to the 21st century.

“We think STEM&M is a great idea,” Murray said. “We just have to find a way to fund it.”

The verbal approval from the Bonsall district allowed the Fallbrook Music Society to meet the Jan. 13 application deadline. Murray noted that approximately one in four Our Town grant applications is funded and that the Fallbrook Music Society will likely learn the fate of that grant this summer.

“The grant from NEA is just one source we’re looking at,” Murray said. “We’re going to be looking at all kinds of grant sources, not just that one.”

The initial grant for Vivian Banks Charter School will allow for a one-year pilot project. “It’s a smaller school. It’s a charter school,” Murray said of the choice of Vivian Banks to inaugurate the program.

Vivian Banks also has musical instruments on the campus. “Part of the reason why we’re going there is they have the instruments right now,” Murray said. “We’re going to make use of the resources we have in place.”

The Vivian Banks project will be evaluated before deciding whether to expand the program to other schools. “The intent is to implement it among all interested school districts,” Murray said.

Murray has not yet worked with the Fallbrook Union Elementary School District or the Vallecitos School District, but should the pilot project prove successful, the Fallbrook Music Society plans to expand the program to all Bonsall Unified School District, Fallbrook Union Elementary School District, and Vallecitos School District elementary schools. The grant, if awarded, would be for $25,000 for the first year and $50,000 for subsequent years.