The Ukulele Project

Cuesta Community Programs offers College for Kids, a fabulous summer program in which 5th-9th graders experience the elective classes schools no longer offer, plus some wacky ones local middle schools never did offer (Meet the Greek Gods, Build Your Own Telescope, Pet Care, Beyond Harry Potter, Logic 101, Animation, Babysitting… and the list goes on). I’m lucky to work at College for Kids. I’m simultaneously aware that not all kids can attend. It’s not cheap. So, for the last few years we’ve been working on increasing access for low income & under-represented groups (both staff & students).

In the student arena we offer scholarships, and we’re working on vans for kids whose parents can’t transport. The Ukulele Project was born of the fact that lower income kids with scholarships still have to pay for or buy supplies for their classes. A ukulele library, would allow us to loan ukes to students who can’t afford them but would like to try the class. Since the ukes would have to go home so students can practice, they’d need cases.

Enter Kala Ukulele’s Educator program, Don’s String Shop, and Do Good Grants. The Educator Program offers heavily discounted rates for quality instruments, Don’s String Shop chipped in to get some very nice cases, & Do Good Grants supplied funds for twelve instruments plus about half the cost of the cases.

Because Cuesta Community Programs is bigger than a summer program for kids, the ukes will also be loaned to adult community members for spring and fall Ukulele 101 classes, hopefully pulling in adult students who can’t afford an instrument, but would like to learn.

So not only is the Ukulele Project bringing music to kids and their families in the summer, it’s bringing music to the whole community all year long.