ETHOS INC

Results: Ethos was organized in 1998 in direct response to state funding cuts for music education; and the organization is based on the tenant that music education has the capacity to keep at-risk youth (K-12) engaged in their communities, their futures, and their families. Ethos believes that music “beats the streets” and based on empirical research, music education can dramatically increase academic achievement. The organization is dedicated to providing these academic benefits to students across Oregon, regardless of socioeconomic status or geographic location. A recent evaluation conducted by Portland Public Schools Department of Research and Evaluation demonstrates that Ethos programming far out performs other after-school enrichment programs, and has the ability to reach at-risk youth, keeping them in school: -84.5 (up from 76.3%) met standards in math -85.2% (up from 82.7%) met state standards in reading -87.7% of participants who received at least one behavior referral in the previous year received -fewer or no referrals -86% had attendance rates of 90% of school days Ethos four flagship programs bring these benefits of music education to students across Oregon: ♪ Music Across Oregon is Ethos' rural outreach program that has brought concerts, assemblies, workshops, instrument "test drives", music camps, and visiting Latin American musicians to over 30 rural and underserved communities in Oregon. The program also places full-time music educators to live and teach (during and after school time) in rural towns with populations under 1,500 and located over 2.5 hours from a city center. ♪ Music Corps is Ethos’ urban outreach program that offers innovative after-school music classes targeting underserved students. Course offerings include: percussion, guitar, Hip-Hop, Rock-Band, string instruments, and piano. Over the past ten years, the Music Corps program has started over 140 afterschool programs in schools and community centers. This program currently serves over 5,000 students with direct and sustained music education and multicultural music performances in over 24 elementary and middle schools located in North Portland (traditionally impoverished neighborhoods). ♪ Music Lessons for Kids is Ethos’ in-house music education program that provides affordable music instruction on a variety of instruments from traditional symphonic band to Jazz, Blues, Hip-Hop, and Rock Band. Music Lessons for Kids also offers week long music summer camps for low-income kids. The program provides safe and structured summer activities that facilitate music learning while also providing a constructive out-of school environment. As part of the Music Lessons for Kids program, Ethos launched The Hip-Hop and Urban Music Project™ (THUMP) designed to reach students who are not served by conventional music programs. THUMP is currently offered in schools and also at Ethos’ Nike sponsored THUMP lab during evenings as a free, drop-in music lab. Using the popularity of contemporary music as a springboard, Ethos’ THUMP program uses Hip-Hop as a way to bridge the digital divide created by socioeconomic disparities. This program uses computers and digital technology to teach Hip-Hop fundamentals like sampling, beat making, lyricism (MC’ing), break dancing, turntablism (DJ'ing), video recording and editing. ♪ Ethos at The Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center is a vibrant mutli-use arts space that includes a gallery, dance studio, a 99 seat theater, and classroom space for music, visual arts, theater, and dance programming. Ethos provides overall oversight and music programming while partnering with other content specialists to provide visual arts and theater programming.

Direct beneficiaries per year: 5,000

Geographic areas served: Oregon

Programs: Music lessons for kids is ethos' in-house music education program which provides affordable private and group music classes on a sliding scale. The music lessons for kids program serves 1,372 kids during 2011 fiscal year.

music corps is ethos' urban outreach program that places musicians-in- residence to teach afterschool music classes in the portland metro area. The program is funded, in part, through the portland children's levy, a tax levy that funds enrichment programs for children. Music corps brought direct and sustained music instruction to over 35 public schools in 2011.

ethos at the interstate firehouse cultural center (ifcc) is a former firehouse renovated into a nationally renowned multi-use arts and community center in north portland. Ethos currently provides music programming and general oversight of ifcc while partnering with other content specialists in the fields of theatre, dance, and visual arts. Partners during 2011 included oregons children's theatre, hand to mouth theatre, cats productions, old library studio, and rene mitchell and thara memory among several others.

music across oregon places ethos trained americorps members in small towns across oregon to address the need for fairness and equity in the educational system. During the 2011 fiscal year, ethos placed 10 americorps members in condon, elkton, monument, long creek, fossil, madras and the warm springs indian reservation to provide music education services through direct instruction, workshops, assemblies, community performances, and instrument "test drives".