CHICAGO'S ABLA PUBLIC HOUSING COMMUNITY REVITALIZED WITH FREE WORLD-CLASS MUSIC INSTRUCTION

In the first partnership of its kind, HUD, the NEA, and the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts (NGCSA ) are providing funding for a new Creative Communities Initiative". Creative Communities grant monies are dedicated to bringing high-quality arts education to public housing residents throughout the United States. Merit School of Music in Chicago is one of twenty sites to receive the Creative Communities grant of $135,000 from NEA, HUD and the NGCSA.

CHICAGO - In the first partnership of its kind, HUD, the NEA, and the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts (NGCSA ) are providing funding for a new Creative Communities Initiative". Creative Communities grant monies are dedicated to bringing high-quality arts education to public housing residents throughout the United States. Merit School of Music in Chicago is one of twenty sites to receive the Creative Communities grant of $135,000 from NEA, HUD and the NGCSA.

In another unique partnership, Merit is teaming up with the Duncan YMCA, CHA and residents of the ABLA public housing development to provide after-school music education to youth living in ABLA, the housing development located closest to Merits downtown location. Merit is hosting after-school music classes in the Duncan YMCA ABLA Community Center located on 14th St. and Blue Island, in the heart of the ABLA public housing development. In many ways the history of this Community Center mimics the plight of many ABLA residents as they struggle for safe, clean and functional housing in their battles with CHA. Once the highlight of the ABLA community, the community center was slated for demolition as part of the CHA redevelopment plan. After remaining vacant for two years, the CHA decided to refurbish this historical building in order to create a home for the many family and youth based programs vital to a strong community.

This fall at the Duncan YMCA ABLA Community Center, Merit will provide a choir program taught by Melba Wright, guitar classes by Randy Hardy, and percussion ensemble classes with Doug Brush. Together the Duncan YMCA, ABLA residents, Local Advisory Council (LAC) members and youth from the community organized focus groups to choose these specific music programs. In addition, CHA and the Duncan YMCA will offer a basketball league, a computer lab, and adult job training in this historical community center.

On Saturday, October 6th, 2001, volunteers from Merit School of Music, the Duncan YMCA, and ABLA residents, refurbished classrooms at the Duncan YMCA ABLA Community Center in preparation for an exciting new music education program. Volunteers, residents, and community leaders worked together in an effort to stimulate the learning environment at this public facility through this classroom beautification day."

Merit School of Music was founded in 1979 to provide high quality music education to economically disadvantaged youth in Chicago. Today, 4500 students from 58 Chicago neighborhoods receive high quality music instruction. It is Merits goal to help these students use music to develop the skills and the personal responsibility necessary to get to college and succeed in life.

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