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At Penn Wood High School - 9th Grade Academy, in Yeadon, PA, on the outskirts of Philadelphia, the 9th grade band warmly welcomes beginners to join alongside their more experienced classmates. Music teacher Patrick Hein finds the mixed level classes benefit everyone: students with more experience are happy to take leadership roles and take responsibility for helping their peers, and the beginner students are learning faster than they might otherwise. While sharing knowledge is a plus, unfortunately many of the 65 band students also have to share equipment.
The cash-strapped district had to freeze its small instrument repair budget, and has no funds for replacing the aged instruments (like a rusty euphonium) that had to be retired. Even necessities like reeds and drumsticks are in short supply.
“Music materials are at the bottom of a very long list because of the high need population we have, and the program growth is outpacing our funding by a mile. I have students right now playing clarinets that have no bell because the cork is stripped, or students playing trumpets that are shared because we just don't have the money to repair them. ” - Mr. Hein
The kids are very focused and willing to put in the hard work needed to meet their performance milestones by the end of 9th grade.
An instrument donation will give these students a chance to be the best band they can be!
DONATE TODAY!
Your donation goes to Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, allowing the foundation to work with the XXX music teacher to purchase the school’s needed instruments. Instruments are then delivered directly to the school.
Every contribution helps! Your generous support will:
*Equip students with high-quality instruments
*Expand access to music education and grow participation
*Inspire creativity, confidence, and success in school and life
How your donation works:
Your cash donation goes directly to the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation to help purchase the instruments each school needs at deeply discounted rates (typically one-third of retail price). Instruments are delivered directly to the school; no cash is given to schools. A 5% service fee is retained by JustGiving, and the Foundation retains 10% to cover administrative costs, including school vetting and grant management.
With generous and transformative support from Eddie Van Halen over the years and now continuing through his son Wolfgang, Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation is pleased to announce that the Van Halen Family has committed to kickstarting the Adopt A School campaign with a generous $1,000 donation towards each of the first 100 participating schools.
How we select schools:
The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation identifies schools through a combination of outreach and research, focusing on those that meet specific grant eligibility requirements. Once a school is determined to be eligible, the music teacher is invited to complete a detailed grant application and participate in an in-person or virtual site visit. This process helps the Foundation understand the school’s unique needs and ensures that any donation will result in a sustainable, long-term impact on students’ access to music education.
More ways to help:
To spread the word on social media or link to this page in your own fundraising efforts, use the links below! And to learn more about Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation's Adopt A School campaign, visit mhopus.org/adopt-a-school or contact us at info@mhopus.org or 818-762-4328.