FirstBank makes donation to promote music education for students in Guayama
FirstBank has made a donation to the Conservatory of Music’s Música 100×35 program that will allow the students of Rafael López Landrón School in Guayama to participate in the Conservatory’s system of children and youth orchestras and choirs in Puerto Rico.
The donation — whose amount was undisclosed ± will also be used to purchase educational materials, equipment, and instruments for the music workshops, bank officials said.
Música 100×35 is a prevention program that promotes social transformation among children and youth through music and creativity.
The program currently benefits 934 youngsters ages 4 to 18 from families whose economic situation is under the poverty line and residents of disadvantaged communities with high rates of violence in the municipalities of Aguas Buenas, San Juan, Loíza, Guaynabo, Guayama, Bayamón, and Cataño.
“At FirstBank we support initiatives that promote positive social change. We recognize the importance of exposing children and youth to music, which serves as an instrument to motivate, highlight, unite, and promote their advancement,” said Catherine Ríos, Community Reinvestment Officer at FirstBank.
“With this donation, we are making the dreams of these young people come true in ways that would not have been possible given their economic situation,” she said.
Founded morethan 55 years ago, the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as study programs targeting the wider community, in the fields of interpretation, musical composition, jazz, and music teacher training.
At the same time, it has a leadership role in Puerto Rico’s musical and cultural life, helping to preserve and disseminate the musical heritage of Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
“The Conservatory of Music values and acknowledges the support given by FirstBank. Their contribution facilitates the work of social transformation fostered by our Música 100×35 program,” said Helen González, director of the Música 100×35 program.
“The Música 100 x 35 program also creates employment opportunities for music teachers, professionals, administrators, and technical support staff,” she said.
