Great Bend Center for Music

Music, Minds, and Milestones: 

How One Program is Revolutionizing Early Childhood Education

In communities where quality early learning programs are often unavailable, music is proving to be a transformative tool for bridging the kindergarten readiness gap. The Sound Scholars™ program, created by the Great Bend Center for Music, uses music to build essential language, social, and cognitive skills in young children, with classes offered in English, Spanish, Mam, and Q’anjob’al – at no cost to participating famlies!

In fact, this past year, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has been touting Sound Scholars as an exceptional solution for communities without Transitional Kindergarten (TK) or other early learning options. OSPI has not only promoted how the program is ideal for preparing kids ages 2-5 up for success on the WAKids assessment of kindergarten readiness, but also that the program’s multilingual support makes it a powerful solution for meeting the needs of migrant children.

Impactful and highly accessible. 

The entirely online program reaches students with the greatest need and fewest resources on smartphones, tablets, and desktops; in bedrooms, high chairs, and car seats every day. By eliminating financial barriers, Great Bend is making high-quality early learning universally accessible while also introducing children and families to the educational technology they'll use for their entire academic career.

In fact, the program’s dedication to accessibility and excellence earned Great Bend the Mason County Early Learning Coalition’s 2024 Champion for Children award, recognizing its contribution to early education in the region. A gift to this program goes directly toward empowering children and families who otherwise lack access to early education, helping to break cycles of inequity through the powerful medium of music.

Don't take our word for it!

Watch this brief (just over one minute) video to see the program in action!

Launched in the fall of 2020, today, the program has served nearly 2,000 children and families. 

Your gift today will help us reach even more!