Deborah Wanderley dos Santos Recognized for Bringing After-School Orchestral Music Instruction to Chicago's Inner-City Children

CHICAGO – October 14, 2010 – The People's Music School, the oldest tuition-free community music school in the United States, is pleased to announce the selection of Deborah Wanderley dos Santos, the founder and Program Director of the School's YOURS Project, into the International Youth Foundation's (IYF) 2010 YouthActionNet Global Fellowship program which awards 20 young social entrepreneurs annually with a one-year fellowship.

"This is an incredible honor for the People's Music School," said Bob Fiedler, Executive Director of the People's Music School. "As the founder of the School's YOURS Project, Deborah is deeply committed to improving young lives and communities through music and, as such, epitomizes the values of the International Youth Foundation. The YOURS Project started with only 35 students in the fall of 2008 and today more than 160 students play in three orchestras at no cost to parents or the public school."

The YOURS Project is a program of the People's Music School in partnership with the Ravinia Festival and targets children who are homeless, impoverished or live in low-income circumstances. For two hours every day after school and on Saturdays, children receive intensive orchestral music instruction and hold dozens of public concerts throughout the year – including one held at the Chicago Symphony Center. YOURS is modeled after the remarkable el Sistema methodology developed by economist and musician José Antonio Abreu in Venezuela. Performing in the orchestra empowers children with the self-determination to pursue their dreams. Through performing music together children learn responsibility, teamwork, listening, and other key life skills.

The International Youth Foundation (IYF) invests in the extraordinary potential of young people, supporting programs that help youth obtain a quality education, gain employability skills, and improve their communities. In 2001, IYF and Nokia launched the YouthActionNet® program, which selects 20 outstanding young leaders annually for a 12-month Fellowship. To date, YouthActionNet® has honored 180 young leaders from 59 countries. Nearly 800 nominations were submitted in 2010. Fellows participate in a weeklong retreat held in Washington, D.C. and benefit from leadership development, skill-building, networking, and advocacy opportunities.
"A YouthActionNet fellowship gives me the opportunity to develop the leadership skills to bring the transformative power of music to every low-income child in Chicago," added Deborah Wanderley dos Santos. "I know that music transforms lives because music saved me from a difficult childhood. Children become part of a nurturing and loving family the moment they join the orchestra. By playing music together, the children learn the life skills necessary to become agents of positive change for their own lives and communities.”

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About The People's Music School
Founded in 1976 by Dr. Rita Simo, the People's Music School is the oldest free community music school in the US. The School offers fundamental music instruction to over 500 children every year, including its initiatives like the YOURS Project modeled after el Sistema. If you'd like to help children learn music, $250 allows a child to be in an ensemble for a year, $500 pays for a musical instrument, $1,000 allows a child to join the YOURS Project, and $1,500 pays for a year's worth of private lessons at People's Music School. All donations are welcome. For more information, visit: www.peoplesmusicschool.org.

About YouthActionNet
Launched in 2001, YouthActionNet seeks to develop a new generation of socially-conscious global citizens who create positive change in their communities, their countries, and the world. Through its leadership programs, dynamic website, grants, and peer-to-peer learning opportunities, YouthActionNet® offers young change makers ideas, resources, and connections to like minds around the world. To date, YouthActionNet has launched national institutes in Australia, Brazil, Israel, Mexico, Spain and Turkey. For further information, visit: www.youthactionnet.org.

About the International Youth Foundation
The International Youth Foundation (IYF) invests in the extraordinary potential of young people. Founded in 1990, IYF builds and maintains a worldwide community of businesses, governments, and civil-society organizations committed to empowering youth to be healthy, productive, and engaged citizens. IYF programs are catalysts of change that help young people obtain a quality education, gain employability skills, make healthy choices, and improve their communities. To learn more, visit: www.iyfnet.org.