It’s estimated that 80 per cent of Australian children have limited access to music and art education in primary school, and private tuition is almost certainly priced out of the reach for families in low socio-economic areas.

It’s estimated that 80 per cent of Australian children have limited access to music and art education in primary school, and private tuition is almost certainly priced out of the reach for families in low socio-economic areas.

HMRI’s multidisciplinary research team comprising clinical trial researchers, musicians and designers aim to fill this gap by developing a cost-effective enrichment program involving music, art and dance that can be implemented by classroom teachers in disadvantaged primary schools across Australia.

It’s a program that would enable disadvantaged kids to enjoy singing, dance, music and art in a safe, fun, age-appropriate and culturally sensitive format. Furthermore, it would involve parents and grandparents, acknowledging the important role they play in the development of their children both at school and within their community.

The ongoing benefits will be many and varied. We would expect to see improvements in a child’s academic performance (including literacy), better attendance at school, and a lift in motivation and resilience. Accordingly, this project has the potential to inform the further development of education and health policy both in Australia and internationally.

The saying “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” applies. As well as providing musical equipment and art supplies, our aim is to teach the teachers, who generally only receive 17 hours of music training during their tertiary studies.

We expect that E2EEE (Enrich 2 Engage, Educate & Empower) will improve student wellbeing and behaviour, build social connectivity and improve overall wellbeing of the school community.

You can help simply by voting in the Eftpos Giveback, with up to $2 million going to a worthy cause. Please make sure that you highlight “Disadvantaged kids, families and communities”.