The term ‘poetry in motion’ has been applied to many things over the years, however we’re confident that it has found its true calling in describing the art of rapping. Combining the convention, structure, and language of literature with the dynamic performance style more commonly found in a dance studio, rapping makes a compelling case to be considered a powerful multi-disciplinary field of study in its own right. Hip Hop has suffered from an often undeserved bad reputation, but that’s in the past and students at Crescent Heights High School, Robert Thirsk High School, Joane Cardinal-Schubert High School and Central Memorial High School are excited to diminish the negative stigma of Hip Hop, and demonstrate how it can be used as an educational tool through a competitive rap battle.

Each school will host a Rap Battle Club where students can receive instruction and training on performance, rhythm, rhyming structure, and language usage. Success in the competition will rely heavily on students’ mastery of active debate, complex thinking, deep questioning, and ability to document their experiences, beliefs and emotions through poetry. It is a collaborative, energetic academic initiative that not only encourages critical thinking, but also helps hone communication skills to provide our future leaders with the ability to both form and present thoughtful, well-researched, clear ideas.

The cost to run the program in all 4 schools is $3,500. This covers Rap Battle Club training sessions with local writers, performers, and hip-hop artists; venue cost for the final competition; and any material needed for the final performance.

Music has always been an effective way to engage students in learning, and this specific project will create appeal to students who struggle to participate in classrooms where the instruction is mostly uni-modal and one-dimensional. Please make a gift today! Your support will enhance student learning and development in visual arts, performing arts and language, as well as increasing their confidence and competence in communicating their ideas. It will also provide new ways for students to get engaged with current topics and get the most out of their education.

“If you’re like me, it can get boring sitting in class looking at a Powerpoint, but if you’re rapping about it and you’re putting it in music and just having fun with it, it just sticks with you a lot more,” says a Robert Thirsk High School student to CTV News.

The Rap Battle Club competition will take place in April 2020, with club meetings officially beginning after the Holidays; students have until the end of December to raise the necessary funds for their program to allow them to compete in the April 2020 competition.

Here is a video clip of students from Robert Thirsk High School competing during Beakerhead’s Science Genius Rap Battle to whet your appetite of things to come:

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=759&v=LaUZqG6AiFA[/embed]

The post CBE Rap Battle Club appeared first on EducationMatters.

Xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels - these are just some of the new additions to the music program at Annie Foote School, but the new instruments are not only making their mark in music class.

Annie Foote has a large population of students who are English Language Learners (ELL), and finding opportunities for these students to connect to their studies and peers in engaging, familiar ways is enormously beneficial to their mastery of a new language.  By introducing aspects of music into both language arts and math classes, Annie Foote's teachers have created a dynamic learning environment for all students, and have seen benefits for the whole school.

By putting popular early reading books to music, students were able to better understand the story: for example, Lucille Colandro's  “There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Clover” provided opportunities for students to link characters, events, and ideas to different musical motifs which were then played at the appropriate times during the story.  The motif's made it easy for students to learn the words and understand the story, as well as making the entire process fun and engaging.  Similarly, music provided an enhancement to math learning through comparing ascending and descending notes to counting, or linking forte and pianissimo to the concepts of volume.

Outside of class, students have been able to showcase their newfound musical talents in assemblies; “we had more excellent performers in our talent show this spring than ever before!” said Susanne Zilkie, the Principal of Annie Foote School.  Through an EducationMatters grant he music program was able to add 19 new instruments to their classrooms, increasing student confidence, knowledge, and opportunities to connect with each other in the process.  As the foundation for the Calgary Board of Education (CBE), EducationMatters is committed to investing in our future leaders to give them the skills that they need to succeed after graduation; your support of these students is making a difference today that will resonate for generations to come.  Thank you!

The impact that music has within CBE schools is immense and continues to transcend traditional school culture. With your support, we can continue to fund programs such as the one in Annie Foote School and the Music Therapy program in West Dover School, and continue to significantly enhance language development and verbal competency for many students!

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80bj2YGQwu0&t=2s[/embed]

The post Using Music to Improve Reading and Math Skills in Annie Foote School appeared first on EducationMatters.

EducationMatters and Statoil Canada are excited to announce a new scholarship opportunity for art students in Calgary.

The Statoil Canada Arts Scholarship at EducationMatters is part of Statoil’s commitment to arts and culture development.

In 2018 the award will be granted to art students graduating from the Calgary Board of Education and the Calgary Catholic School District. The new scholarship will be awarded to Calgary students who are choosing post-secondary education in the artistic pursuits of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.

Statoil Canada proudly promotes the arts and encourages students to pursue higher education in the arts. In recent years, the company has supported art students through scholarships in Newfoundland and Labrador, and after realizing the success of their investments in the province, Statoil Canada is excited to expand their support to students in Calgary.

“Statoil celebrates the heroes of tomorrow who inspire us to make the impossible possible,” said Alex Collins, Head of Communications, Statoil Canada. “We have a long-standing commitment to arts education, and we look forward to this partnership with EducationMatters to offer this scholarship opportunity to an aspiring artist.”

2018 marks the 15^th year of EducationMatters working closely with generous donors to create scholarships and awards for publicly educated students. EducationMatters is honored to facilitate the awards made possible by our partners and believes that the best public education happens when the community participates in its development to ensure that every student is prepared for adult life.

The application process for all 2018 student awards will go live on March 1, 2018. Click here for more details.

The post Statoil Canada Announces Arts Scholarship appeared first on EducationMatters.