On Friday, January 18, music education teaching artists from across Philadelphia’s cultural organizations joined School District of Philadelphia music educators for a morning of shared professional development and collaborative learning. The free event was part of an ongoing collaboration between the Philadelphia Music Alliance for Youth (PMAY) and the School District of Philadelphia’s Office of The Arts & Academic Enrichment in an effort to align, enrich, and expand music education opportunities for students across the city.

The event kicked off with keynote speaker Nicole Robinson, creator of Cultural Connections by Design, a diversity and inclusion consulting company.  Sessions covered a range of topics including cultural diversity, building relationships with students, the importance of emotional health and career longevity for educators, improvisation, and coding in the music classroom.

The Philadelphia Music Alliance for Youth (PMAY) is a collaborative of organizations in the Philadelphia region dedi­cated to providing music education, performance and enrichment opportunities to youth. The collaborative started in 2012, and its members share a commitment to improving communities through the regular study of music.  Participating organizations include Settlement Music School, the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, Musicopia, Play on, Philly!, Sister Cities Girlchoir, and many others.

To see photos from the event, please view the gallery below.  

To read The Philadelphia Tribune’s coverage of the event, click here.