PING!’s programs are designed to provide an equitable experience and to support each PING! student with opportunities to help them reach their potential. These programs have been recognized for excellence by organizations such as the Illinois Music Educators Association, Community Bank, Illinois State Board of Education, Oak Park Area Arts Council, and the Oak Park Education Foundation.
First PING! puts an instrument into the student’s hands. Then PING! provides a variety of music enrichment opportunities–at no charge to the family, so students can thrive, grow, and achieve their potential through music.
Instruments
Students almost always receive their first instrument choice and in some cases play two instruments from PING! in order to participate in different ensembles. PING! families pay an enrollment fee of $20 per year. All other instrument and enrichment expenses during the year are paid by PING!
The inventory of more than 250 instruments is built largely through donations. PING! acquires, repairs, maintains, and supplies these instruments so they are ready to put into the hands of the students.
Mentoring
The PING! Mentor program pairs PING! middle-school students with OPRFHS student musicians for one-hour music lessons and mentoring every other week throughout the school year. This results in about 480 hours of music instruction each year. The OPRF High School mentors volunteer about 25 hours annually to mentor these young musicians.
This program helps PING! students stay on par with their peers who can afford private music lessons. The mentor program also provides PING! students with a friend who can advise and encourage them as they prepare for high school.
Private Music Lessons
PING! students at OPRFHS have the option to work with respected local private lesson teachers. PING! locates the teachers for the students, reimburses the teachers, and monitors student and teacher satisfaction. About half of PING! high school students receive weekly private lessons.
Summer Music Camp Scholarships
PING! assists students in locating, applying for, and financing summer music camps so that PING! students can benefit from the same types of enrichment during the summer months as their peers. These camps may be day camps in Chicago, Oak Park and River Forest School Districts 90, 97, and 200, or week-long summer camps in the Midwest. PING! also assists its marching band students with the marching summer camp, pay-to-play fees, and shoes. Summer music camps provide an opportunity for young musicians to improve mastery of their instruments, strengthen their musical ability, develop independence, and be exposed to new ideas and people.
Music Workshops
4th and 5th grade students can participate in special workshops offered in the fall and spring. Students learn rhythm or other musical skills in a large group with a local professional musician or teacher and then work one-on-one with a PING! high-school mentor for an hour-long lesson, giving them a taste of the mentoring program they can join once in middle school. These workshops help to reinforce what these beginning students are learning in school.
Connections
PING! believes that understanding the needs of the students and involving their parents contributes to student success. Therefore, PING! provides opportunities for communication and participation by parents in our programming. We invite parents to events throughout the year and have meetings for parents to network with each other, hear about PING! programs, and learn how to help their students succeed with music.
Music Trip Scholarships
PING! provides scholarships for the D97 middle-school band/orchestra field trip to Cleveland in May of each year and for music-related trips in D90. PING! students can also apply for assistance with trips for Marching Band, OPRF High School band, orchestra, and jazz band.