for immediate release

Contact: Ava Spece, Executive Director
DC Youth Orchestra Program
202-723-1612
ava@dcyop.org
http://www.dcyop.org/

Generous donation made to the DC Youth Orchestra Program to provide summer scholarships to DC students, in honor of the memory of John Corby

Washington, DC – A generous donation has been made to the DC Youth Orchestra Program in honor of the memory of John Corby. The donation will allow The Program to provide at least 100 scholarships for the 2010 summer session, to students in Washington , DC .

John Corby was born Dominic Corbisiero on April 25, 1920. Mr. Corby was an honored Army soldier who served in World War II and lived in Washington DC , following his return from the war. Mr. Corby passed away in 2008 and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery . He directed that a portion of his estate be dedicated to gifts for the support of education to those in need in Washington , DC . After Mr. Corby retired from the Army, he served as a contract unit division chief for the US Coast Guard for 36 years. Mr. Corby was dedicated to his church and to the welfare of children in need in Washington .

Scholarships will be available to students who are residents of the District (within zip codes 20001, 20002, 20003, 20007, 20009, 20010, 20011, 20012, 20015, 20016, 20017, 20018, 20019, 20020, 20024, and 20032). Scholarships through this contribution are available for the 2010 summer session only. Additional information about the scholarships is available at 202-723-1612 or info@dcyop.org.

The impact of the DC Youth Orchestra Program is significant, whether measured in size, social contributions, or financial aid:

Every year, over 600 children play in the DC Youth Orchestra Program, making it the largest youth orchestra in the Washington area.

Offering 17 times more classes than any other DC-area youth orchestra organizations, the DC Youth Orchestra Program is a leading music education resource.

Children in DCYOP finish high school. While the high school graduation rate in DC Public schools is under 60%, virtually every student who graduates from our Program graduates from high school.

DC Youth Orchestra Program tuition is over 25% lower than other area youth orchestras for DC students.

Students pay, on average, about 45% of the costs of programs offered by DC Youth Orchestra Program.

The program accepts all students, regardless of experience or income level.

Over the last 4 years, more than 25% of students received subsidized or free tuition, and that percentage is growing.

The program's success has been recognized by the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. In 2002, the program received one of the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ 11 coveted “Coming Up Taller” Awards for out-of-school arts and humanities programs. The U.S. Department of Education and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting have also cited the DCYOP for its efforts, and Maestro Leonard Slatkin has often spoken on behalf of the program. In 2009 the students of the Youth Orchestra of the DC Youth Orchestra Program performed for the National Endowment for the Arts Council meeting, for Secretary Hillary Clinton and the Ecumenical Patriarch, and twice at the White House – and again at the White House in 2010. Recently the program was voted as “the best music classes in the Washington metropolitan area” by Nickelodeon’s Parents Connect and was also chosen as “one of the best small nonprofits in the Washington Region” by the Catalogue for Philanthropy.

Music for young people; achievement for life!

http://www.dcyop.org/
 
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