Guitars in the Classroom

Guitars in the Classroom (GITC) supports highly-engaged student learning in public schools by training, equipping and inspiring teachers and school staff to play, sing, lead, and integrate music with academic instruction and social-emotional development. Our free programs restore music to its rightful place in childhood and society while supporting all learners to access their creativity through the power of song. ​ 

GITC focuses on reaching under-served students with hands-on music as a vehicle for learning language, literacy, academics and social-emotional skills during their most formative years. Music is a universal language into which GITC embeds the languages of speech, reasoning and emotions. Our free sequential courses and capacity-building teaching artist residencies provide innovative developmental training to all kinds of educators. Our train-the-trainer model provides all they need to make a musical difference for each and every student they serve throughout their teaching career.  

Our work is unique in that over the past two decades we have established curriculum, materials and a supply chain that prepares teachers to address the critical needs of their students, including many who experience housing or food insecurity. Over 50% of American children are living at or below the poverty line and attend Title 1 schools. With budget cuts to education on the rise, these students are failing to achieve basic competency requirements in English and Math. Missing critical grade-level benchmarks puts them at grave risk of falling farther behind and potentially dropping out of high school. This academic failure to thrive impedes many as they prepare to enter the workforce and can result in under-employment and difficulty finding their place in society.  GITC’s goal is to empower teachers to turn these staggering numbers around early by engaging and educating their students through vibrant hands-on musical learning in every subject.