Orchestra Professional Development Conference

Grants in Action | 2022/2023 School Year

Kathleen Schnerer, Perrysburg Junior High School Orchestra Teacher, attended the American String Teachers Association Professional Development Conference in March of 2023, thanks to a $835 grant from the Perrysburg Schools Foundation. She presented a session titled Understanding Student Needs and Motivations: A Guide for Action in the Orchestra Classroom with Michael Hopkins, Professor of Music Education from the University of Michigan. She also presented her master’s thesis, Addressing Students’ Psychological Needs Through Participation in Orchestra, in a research poster session at the conference.

“Thanks to the Perrysburg Schools Foundation and the Arts Council for providing the funding for this experience!” shared Ms. Schnerer. “My presentation challenged me personally and professionally. Sharing my ideas and experiences with other teachers from around the nation helped me grow as an educator. I also had the opportunity to attend many sessions and watch many school orchestras from around the nation perform. I brought back new ideas to share with my colleagues and students in Perrysburg.”

The Perrysburg Schools Arts Council is charged with suggesting areas of funding from the Perrysburg Schools Foundation and its Campaign for the Arts that supports the visual and performing arts through student discovery, student experience, program growth and program sustainability.