For the second year in a row, the Hermiston School District was named a 2015 Best Community for Music Education (BCME) by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation.
Hermiston is one of 388 districts across the nation, and the only one in Oregon, to earn the honor. The designation identifies districts for their outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students and community leaders who have made music education part of the core curriculum. Evaluated factors for the BCME designation include funding, staffing of highly qualified teachers, commitment to standards, and access to music instruction.
“Ensuring that every child has access to music in schools requires commitment by students, teachers, and those who determine school budgets,” said Mary Luehrsen, executive director of the NAMM Foundation. “We commend the districts and schools that have earned the Best Community designation this year. They join with so many that believe as we do that there is a vital link between do-rei-me and the ABCs.”
Recent research has shown a connection between participation in music education programs and student success, notably an improvement in brain function and a person’s ability to process language, which makes earning the BCME honor especially significant this year.
The NAMM Foundation is a non-profit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its 9000 members around the world. The NAMM Foundation works to advance active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs.
