Guitars and Ukes In The Classroom

09/02/2026

GITC 💗 Kazoobie Kazoos! Everyone who takes our in person trainings learns to warm up their voices and have a lot of fun exploring their vocal range with these American-made, high quality kazoo gems. Teachers, here's the source!

Guitars In The Classroom Classroom Teachers & Trainees Elementary Music Educators

Who else is excited for the "ber" months?!? We are! Welcome to September!

09/01/2026

Back by popular demand, San Diego Early Childhood Educators! Free life-changing music training Can empower you to become a comfortable song leader for learning with young children. Music makes a difference! Friends, register now to save your spot!

San Diego Central Library San Diego Council on Literacy San Diego County Office of Education City of San Diego National Endowment for the Arts San Diego Foundation

09/01/2026

High school teachers, Kala Brand Music is expanding its charitable reach in your direction! Want to apply? Read on, below!

VAPA Foundation SDUSD VAPA Guitars In The Classroom Classroom Teachers & Trainees

We're giving 200 ukuleles to high schools and colleges across the country! A little over one week left to enter our Flame Maple Burst Giveaway!
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Teachers, professors, and staff in secondary or higher education this is for you! If you know someone who qualifies you can fill out the form on their behalf! This giveaway ends September 9th, so don't wait to fill out the form here:⁠ https://forms.gle/7G9ZFTMG81WZBEXZ6 🖊️
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Please LIKE and SHARE this post to spread the news to educators in your community!

08/31/2026

It's TIME, friends! GITC classes are open for registration. If you're an educator, caregiver, specialist, staff, or support provider, these classes are for you! We're 26 years and counting now, supporting you to bring more music to education, and make a difference for kids. Music is great self care, too. It's never too late to learn! Please check out the offerings here:
https://www.guitarsintheclassroom.org/learn-with-gitc.html

Guitars In The Classroom Classroom Teachers & Trainees Massachusetts Teachers Association California Teachers Association California Association for the Education of Young Children Head Start California Head Start Todd Rundgren's Spirit of Harmony

Teachers, Specialists & Support Staff, you can learn to put your GITC training to work so every student gets the chance to learn through the power of music! We teach developmentally, gradually, and...

08/29/2026

This approach runs counter to proven best educational practices and research has made it clear that children benefit from learning in their first language as part of acquiring English as a second language. Decision Makers is D.C. should read the research. https://cep.asu.edu/resources/dual-language-learners-head-start

Advocates for the early childhood program say the proposal would undermine learning for California children who are dual-language learners and contradict federal law meant to preserve Head Start quality standards.

08/29/2026

Congratulations to our San Diego Central Library and our local Literacy Community for the collaborative work that went into creating this important new section of the Denny Stanford Children's Library. Emily Derry (in yellow) coordinates Child and Youth Services for our city libraries, and she worked tirelessly for over a year to make the section possible with support from her team, and funders. Our organization has been playing an active part in bringing decodables into the mix with Literacy through Music in our Uke Can Read events, supported by First 5 San Diego and ACCF funding from the City of San Diego. 💗

08/29/2026

San Diego launched its first Decodables Section with a joyful ribbon cutting celebration at the Denny Sanford Children's Library on Thursday. Literacy luminaries from Dr. Seuss Foundation, San Diego Foundation, and Library leaders Emily Derry, Misty Jones, and Jennifer Parsons, accompanied by mascot, Odi the Coyote led the event. Thank you, Pamela Gray Payton, MSEL and Katie Rast for your inspirational words. Together we are moving the needle on early literacy in this community.

Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom is excited to have participated in the process with our Uke Can Read music events! Emily Derry has given her all to create this new resource to support decoding! Families, be the first to check out these books!

San Diego launched its first Decodables Section with a joyful ribbon cutting celebration at. the Denny Sanford Children's Library on Thursday. Literacy luminaries from Dr. Seuss Foundation, San Diego Foundation, and Library leaders Emily Derry, Misty Jones, and Jennifer Parsons, accompanied by masco...

08/28/2026

Way to go, SDUSD healthy schools! We know each of you named in the top 5 and see that some of you are serving a large number of students and families facing economic hardships. Thank you for going above and beyond to help your students thrive! Normal Heights second grades wrote a wonderful song several years ago during GITC residencies to the tune of "This Little Light of Mine" called, "When I Take Care of My Body, It Takes Care of Me." Every verse adds details about nutrition, exercise, and understanding what our bodies tell us. You awesome teachers were building children's agency over their own well-being even then. Kudos, Everyone!