On Tuesday, April 16, more than 600 IUSD students will participate in the 40th Annual Donald Bren Honors Concert at the Renée & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. The Bren Honors Concert is a signature event for the District and a reflection of IUSD’s commitment to music and the arts.
This annual concert is the result of months of planning and practice by both students and our music educators. The Bren Honors Concert is also made possible by the generosity of the Irvine Company, which has committed to contribute nearly $50 million over 20 years through the Excellence in Education Enrichment Fund to ensure that every student in grades four through six receives instruction from highly qualified teachers in art, science and music.
As a result of this extraordinary commitment, since 2006, nearly 200,000 children have had their educational experiences enhanced by specialist teachers, who often provide our young students with their first exposure to robust art, science and music education, fostering a life-long love of learning. The Excellence in Education Enrichment Fund has become a cornerstone of IUSD’s instructional program, and it has made a lasting impact on the lives of thousands of current and former students. The students performing are the embodiment of this extraordinary commitment.
A special thank you to the Irvine Public Schools Foundation (IPSF) for setting the stage with their commitment to primary music education. Each year, IPSF works to support IUSD in providing students with access to music education beginning in kindergarten. Their support of IUSD’s efforts helps promote collaboration and communication skills, creativity and self-expression, and improved academic skills for our youngest students. This support is in addition to IPSF’s music rental program, which offers parents a less expensive alternative to purchasing a new instrument that may only be used for a short time.
Finally, I would like to thank our engaged parents, who support the arts in our schools throughout the school year in many forms and nurture their children’s talents and passions at home. Parent and family engagement play an essential role in helping us fulfill our promise to provide every IUSD student with the highest quality educational experience we can envision.
To learn more about the arts in IUSD, visit iusd.org/ArtsIUSD. Also, see our feature article, Proposition 28: A Boost for Arts Education in IUSD.