Chicago Area Non-Profits Get $100,000 for Music Education

In a recent press release, Charter One announced that more than $100,000 has been raised. That money will be used to help fund four nonprofit organizations in the Chicago area. The money is designed to make sure that more Chicagoans have access to the arts, and music education.

This is the second year that Charter One has run the "Making Music Matter" program that is designed to collect musical instruments and raise money to fund art and music enrichment for all Chicagoans.

The money will be given to the Boys & Girls Club of Chicago, the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, the Merit School of Music, and the People's School of Music.

Here is how these organizations plan to use the funds they receive:

Boys & Girls Club of Chicago:
The Boys & Girls Club of Chicago serves more than 17,500 young people throughout Chicago each year. Funds from "Making Music Matter" will be used to allow more kids to participate in the after-school music program at The Valentine Club in Bridgeport.

Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras:
The Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras is recognized internationally as one of the finest youth orchestras in the United States. Charter One's support will benefit the Music Pathways program, which serves more than 5,000 Chicago Public school students. Concert musicians will be playing instruments that
were donated by "Making Music Matter."

Merit School of Music:
The Merit School of Music is recognized nationally as an exemplary community music school that offers comprehensive training to a diverse population of students. Program funds will support the 4,500 students involved in Merit's "Bridges: Partners in Music" initiative, an in-school music education program that began in 1984 in response to requests from Chicago Public Schools, which earlier had eliminated its music curriculum.