OrchKids Fellowship Program

In this two-year fellowship program, fellows will gain significant teaching experience in a vibrant organization, as well as professional development in nonprofit administrative roles and performance cultivation. Fellows will spend the majority of their time teaching in both private and large group settings, embracing OrchKids’ educational philosophy which  aims to simultaneously foster students’ instrumental skills (i.e. technique, learning diverse and challenging repertoire) AND creativity (e.g. improvisation and composition).

Fellows will participate in all OrchKids teaching artist professional development seminars which center around the topics of using music as a tool for social change, classroom management techniques, trauma-informed teaching, racism and implicit bias, and collaborative student composition. Each month, fellows will also have the unique opportunity to learn non-profit management skills in the areas of development, education/programming, operations and marketing via 2-hour modules. Furthermore, fellows will program, curate, and perform in at least one community engagement concert each year involving OrchKids students, developing entrepreneurial skills as they use their art to connect with local neighborhoods. This fellowship program also allows for opportunities for fellows to interact with and learn from BSO musicians and staff.

For more information email orchkids@bsomusic.org

From ORCHPRESS Fall 2019 Newsletter: Meet the Fellows!

OrchKids Fellowship Program is growing! Last year, OrchKids piloted a new string fellowship program to help attract great string teachers who are not only talented, but more importantly, share a deep passion for our mission of social change. Fellow, Christy Grace, now in her second year, has become the program’s lead fellow and mentor. Christy’s role has also expanded to overseeing another pilot program: OrchKids’ new Saturday private lesson academy. This new initiative aims to provide extra support for our students’ musical growth. We are, also, excited to announce that out of a pool of 16 applicants, OrchKids has accepted three new Fellows to join our team this year. Like Christy, this new class of Fellows will spend the next two years gaining significant teaching experience in the Baltimore community, as well as professional development in nonprofit administrative roles and performance cultivation. Fellows will teach in both private and large group settings, embracing OrchKids’ educational philosophy. In addition to teaching, they will organize, curate, and perform with students in at least one community concert each year, developing entrepreneurial skills as they use their art to connect with local neighborhoods. Each month, Fellows will participate in 2-hour modules that will teach them non-profit management skills in development, education/programming, operations, and marketing. To fully embrace the OrchKids educational philosophy, Fellows will participate with teaching artists in all professional development seminars. Topics will include using music as a tool for social change, classroom management techniques, trauma-informed care, racism and implicit bias, and collaborative student composition.