Registration Update and Community Meeting

 

After six days of registration, Hope on a String enrolled about 300 new students, this is not counting the amount of students that enrolled for the first summer session.  For this session, HoaS is offering the following music classes: Music Theory, Recorder, Drums, Wind instruments, Guitar, Keyboard, Improvisation, Dance for adults, Dance for kids, Children's choir.  The skill building classes being offered are: English (levels 1-4), Spanish, Communication, Electricity, and Knitting.  After registration, 10 of the 25 class sessions had wait lists!!  I will begin writing about the classes this week, and will hopefully be able to give you an update as to the number of students who are attending their classes.

Tonight, Hope on a String staff and teachers held a meeting for students and parents of students who registered for the upcoming session.  HoaS wanted to further explain its mission and vision to the community, while also giving them important information about the organization and the expectations that it has for its participants.  Each teacher introduced himself and spoke a bit about his class, his reason for working with HoaS, and its importance.  Then, they opened the floor to questions.

All of the staff and teachers were really pleased with the number of people who showed up (I estimate about 200 people) and how well they felt information about HoaS was communicated.  Cassy (staff) opened the meeting explaining Hope on a String's mission - that it is an organization meant to uplift individuals and strengthen the community through people's participation in music and skill building.  Lara (Country Director) and Cassy also spoke about the role that each participant must  play in their own learning and the idea that while Hope on a String is meant to strengthen community, it can only do so with the participation of individuals in the community.  Watson then outlined the classes that HoaS offers and who the teachers were.  He referred to me both as Amanda and Madame Bennett, which is how women are mostly referred to when the husband is known.  For example, mostly when I am introduced, a person says, "Ou konnen Bennett?  Li se Madame Bennett," which means, "Do you know Bennett?  This is Bennett's wife (or Bennett's Madame :) ). 

It is my understanding that HoaS wanted to have this meeting before the start of classes for several reasons.  1) They want to communicate the larger vision and mission.  2)  They want students and their families to recognize the many ways in which they can uplift their.  3) They want to communicate their expectations so they can have a better student retention rate. 

It really was a great experience to see all of these people travel to this meeting - many people walked, many people rode bikes, and even more took motos.  It as clear after witnessing this meeting how important Hope on a String is and it gives me much hope for the surrounding communities.  I wish you could all have been there!