Department of Music News

The WKU Sisterhood awarded grants to the ISEC Academy and the "Bridging Cultures through Music" programs. (WKU photo by Clinton Lewis)

The WKU Sisterhood awarded grants to two projects at its annual meeting on Friday (Oct. 27).

The following grants were awarded:

• $20,000 to the Intercultural Student Engagement Center (ISEC) Academy to support the fall 2018 cohort of students. The ISEC Academy is a project designed to assist students who identify as students of color (Black, Hispanic/Latin, Asian, Native American and Multiracial) and/or who are first-generation, Pell Grant-eligible students with transition, persistence and graduation. The ISEC Academy, which supports students throughout their college career, includes three layers of mentorship, a Living and Learning program, weekly study requirements, involvement in monthly academic and cultural campus events, study away and study abroad opportunities, career readiness and intercultural celebratory events.
• $20,000 to the Department of Music for “Bridging Cultures through Music,” a project in which a team of student teachers and volunteers from WKU will teach violin to English as a Second Language (ESL) students, many of whom are refugees, at Bowling Green High School. The team of teachers will include undergraduate and graduate students studying music at WKU and students from the WKU Pre-College Strings Program. The pairing of WKU student teachers and ESL students will not only provide the opportunity to establish relationships with individuals from different cultures, but will also help all those involved develop compassion for other cultures and nurture the discipline and confidence that result from both learning and teaching an instrument.

At the meeting, members of the WKU Sisterhood also received an update from the 2016 grant recipients.

The WKU Sisterhood, chaired by Kristen Miller, is an organization of women advancing university priorities through philanthropic engagement and a collective voice. Any alumna, friend, faculty or staff member of WKU is invited to join this group of women. Members pool their financial gifts and award funds to a limited number of university designations to maximize the impact of their philanthropy.

Contact: Summer Bacon, (270) 745-4036