The Oklahoma United Methodist Foundation has supported the work of Sistema Tulsa since the beginning. Sistema has served the Tulsa community for over 5 years now. Over 250 students have been a part of a program that focuses on teaching music in ensembles like band, orchestra, choirs, and symphony groups. This free community program creates a context of encouragement, growth, and resilience for children and youth from many diverse and marginalized communities. We know that music education is a way to encourage students to discover that they can be a person of excellence. When they learn something new or perform for others, they feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. The program has received recognition at the local and national level.
The Oklahoma Methodist Foundation helped us purchase 90 instruments to begin our program and have awarded us generous operational grants each year. Their mission is to "invest in lasting good." They choose to work through us because they believe that music can positively impact the lives of children and because we are committed to reaching out to students who may not have opportunities to learn music, buy instruments, or access other life-affirming resources. They have challenged us to raise up to $50,000 until December 31, 2020, which they will match dollar-for-dollar and place in an endowment fund so that it can grow and yield dividends into the future. And not just financial dividends, but in our case, an investment that creates ripples of encouragement, growth, and opportunities in music for Tulsa youth.
Will you join us?