A Miami-Dade County music education program serving more than 19,000 students is receiving state funding for the first time to help expand into more local schools.
Florida is supporting Young Musicians Unite with a grant of $600,000 to help place music teachers in schools and make high-quality music education more accessible for 5th through 12th grades.
Sammy Gonzalez Zeira, founder and chief executive officer of Young Musicians Unit, told WLRN the funding will help 11 more schools get enrolled in music class, bringing the program to about 2,200 new students. The organization is presently on 131 campuses.
“ I'm very focused as a leader of Miami,” Gonzalez Zeira said. “I wanna make sure that every child has access to a free music and arts education. “My goal is to serve every single one of the schools that need our support and that need a free music education program.”
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Earlier this month, organization leaders gathered with Miami’s philanthropic, civic and cultural communities to celebrate YMU’s next chapter of growth. At the event, state Sen. Alexis Calatayud, R-Miami, presented a ceremonial check to symbolize the state grant from the Florida Division of Arts and Culture.
“Our community has a vision for every single young person. We believe in who they can be, and we need to make sure every transformational door is open to help them unlock their potential," Calatayud said.
Young Musicians Unite also helps get students in the classroom on time for the first bell, Gonzalez Zeira said, citing 20% less tardies and absences among students taking arts compared to students who aren’t.
“ The idea is that when you put in arts in the school day, kids are excited to show up to school,” Gonzalez Zeira said. “If they're excited to show up to school, they're part of a class that they love, then they'll show up to school more. If they show up to school more, they'll do better in school.”
Since is founding in 2013, Young Musicians Unite has served more than 71,000 students and is aiming to raise $3 million to expand to 171 schools total by the 2027-28 school year.
