Music Haven has been recognized by the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities as a finalist for the 2011 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award. Music Haven’s selection as one of 50 Finalists distinguishes it as one of the top arts- and humanities-based programs in the country.
The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities and its partner agencies, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, reviewed 471 nominations from 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico before choosing 50 finalists.
Music Haven’s executive director Tina Lee Hadari said, “We’re immensely thrilled here at Music Haven to receive national recognition for the work we’re doing here in New Haven. Everyone has been working so hard these last five years — the board, the staff, the Haven String Quartet, the parents, and the students — but we never expected to receive such a huge honor so soon. It’s a testament to how much can be achieved when you fortify a group of people with hope and a strong mission — it’s inspired everyone to go the extra mile in all of our endeavors.”
The National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award is the Nation’s highest honor for out-of-school arts and humanities programs. Twelve recipients will receive a $10,000 grant and an invitation to visit the White House and accept the award from First Lady Michelle Obama.
Through the permanent residency of the Haven String Quartet, Music Haven provides world-class performances and free after school education programs that build long-term relationships between professional musicians, children, and families in four high-poverty Empowerment Zone neighborhoods of New Haven. The Haven String Quartet performs in public spaces in New Haven, school workshops across the state, and concert halls across the world, but the majority of the quartet’s activities focuses on youth development and education in the Newhallville, Dixwell, Dwight, and Hill neighborhoods of New Haven.
All after-school programs, including string instruments, are completely tuition-free and are open to youth who reside or attend school in the Dixwell, Hill, Dwight, or Newhallville neighborhoods of New Haven. Each child is selected on a first-come, first-served basis.