Dakota County Community Rallies to Expand Orchestra Program in District 196
DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA— A petition has been started in Dakota County for District 196, the fourth-largest school district in Minnesota and home to over 29,000 students across its 29 schools, in the hopes of showing an interest in the expansion of the orchestra program. The district includes all or part of seven cities - Rosemount, Apple Valley, Eagan, Burnsville, Coates, Inver Grove Heights, and Lakeville - and the rural Empire and Vermillion townships, where there is only one school that currently offers an orchestra program: Glacier Hills Elementary.
District 196 has 19 elementary schools, six middle schools, four high schools, the School of Environmental Studies optional high school, the Area Learning Center alternative high school, and the Dakota Ridge special education school.
Glacier Hills Elementary provides string instrument instruction to students from third to fifth grade, and the program’s overwhelming success has led to a waiting list for participation. With such high demand, supporters argue that more students should be able to experience the benefits of learning an instrument. In fact, research has shown that playing an instrument enhances critical thinking and listening skills, improves focus and attention to detail, and strengthens coordination and motor skills. Something the Glacier Hill Elementary School even mentions within their program highlights on their website.
Photo Credit: Glacier Hills Elementary
You don’t have to take their word for it, though; a study from the American Psychological Association and the National Association for Music Education indicates that music training engages multiple areas of the brain, strengthening neural connections and improving memory and problem-solving abilities. A study from the University of Southern California’s Brain and Creativity Institute found that children who learn to play an instrument show accelerated development in auditory processing and cognitive functions, and finally, research published in Frontiers in Neuroscience suggests that musical training enhances executive function, leading to better attention control and cognitive flexibility. Supporters of the expansion of the orchestra program believe it would allow more students across the district the ability to gain these valuable developmental benefits.
The petition was started to hopefully help demonstrate to members of the school board the potential widespread interest in the program if it were to expand. Organizers encourage parents, guardians, and community members to sign to show their support. They hope to present a compelling case to district officials, highlighting both the demand for and the benefits of expanding music education.
Jennifer Peery, one of the organizers of this petition, shared her motivation for the effort.
"My daughter is a fourth grader at Glacier Hills and started viola in third grade. She was really bummed when she found out it doesn't go into middle school. We looked for programs outside of school, but they're expensive and not always easy for our schedule."
When asked about the next steps if the petition gains significant traction, Peery explained,
"If we gain significant support, we would like to propose a small pilot program to the district. We know we will have to start small, so our thought is adding the program to one other elementary school and a middle school. We know some band teachers at elementary schools go between a few different schools to teach, so this might be a possibility for orchestra as well. Our hope is that this small pilot program will snowball into something bigger and eventually be something that is offered in most of the schools in the district."
David Chow, another organizer of the petition, shared his personal story about why he started this project.
"I started this project to expand the orchestra program last year. The reason was for our son primarily. Before the passing of my wife, we talked about why there was no orchestra in such a big district besides Glacier Hills, and we were going to start a project to get it expanded, but sadly, she passed before we could start anything. So, in her honor, I started the project last year... we as a community need to do our part in showing the interest."
The initiative aims to provide students with greater opportunities for artistic growth and enrichment. As the community rallies behind the cause, supporters of the project remain hopeful that the district will take action to bring orchestra programs to more schools, ensuring that all students have access to a diverse and well-rounded education.
If you would like to help support this initiative, you can follow the following link: Expand the Orchestra Program in District 196.
Written by: Will Wight
Photo Credit: Glacier Hills Elementary
