Suzuki Flute Studio of Kelly Williamson

London, Ontario, Canada

                                                                                                                       April 4, 2006

To Whom It May Concern:

As one of the recipients of your “Creativity in Teaching” micro-grants through the We Are Teachers on-line network, I would like to express my sincere thanks both for the grant allowance and for the Flip video camera, which arrived this week.

Both will be very useful to me and to my students.  The grant money will be used to purchase percussion instruments to supplement our free concert series at the public library and in area elementary schools.  With two colleagues, I have presented two dozen such concerts since December 2008.  The children really enjoy having the opportunity to participate in the concert as well as listen to the music.  Up to now, they have taken turns playing along, using instruments that I already owned, but I look forward to every child being able to play along with every “audience participation” song, using the new instruments.

The video camera will be of particular use in my work as a mentor to other teachers.  As a Teacher Trainer with the Suzuki Association of the Americas, I am fortunate to travel to give pedagogy workshops in such places as Peru, Colombia, and Tanzania, as well as Canada and the US.  I try to stay in contact with the teachers and children I work with, to share materials, ideas, and inspiration on a long-term basis.  One of the children (from Patagonia, Argentina) has initiated a lesson-by-video scheme with me, using YouTube for video sharing.  By watching her video, and sending a video back with my comments and pointers, I can be of help to her and her teacher, to provide additional motivation to succeed.

The effects of your generosity will reach a great many children, from the US and Canada to abroad!

With sincere gratitude,