When I joined the Keys 4 Success team in 2015, I was joining a small team on a
mission to make a very BIG impact among students ages 2 and up in New York City through music and movement education. We were only in a few schools teaching select classes to see, measure and feel the impact of our curriculum. Fast forward to 2022, our team has grown, we teach over the 1000 students across New York City, our
curriculum has expanded to include social emotional learning, STEAM, and learning about different languages and cultures in addition to music and movement. Even during a world wide pandemic, we were able to reach students all over the world through our online platform, exposing them to our exciting and engaging music curriculum.
Keys 4 Success has created a curriculum that really allows each and every student to
thrive, using their creative intelligence and imagination to explore the unknown. The
social and emotional learning components that are instilled in our curriculum also allow
our students to be better communicators, tapping into their emotional intelligence to
express feelings and emotion that connect that with different music styles and sounds
found in various cultures. Our teachers create a one on one relationship with each and
every student, understanding who they are, what their passions are and how we can
help them to unlock their unlimited potential.
How does Keys 4 Success use technology as a helpful resource in the
curriculum?
Instead of the STEM curriculum we are real big advocates for the STEAM curriculum.
We want to amplify that “A” in STEAM which is arts, music and movement. As an example, we use Bananas and alligator clips to create a “Banana Piano” were the children learn how electricity moves through alligator clips and works with an app to create sound. We use apps to show how you can use layers of different sounds to create a song one would hear on the radio or in a television show. This really encourages our students creativity towards learning to create their own melodies and rhythms.
How does Keys 4 Success encourage parent involvement?
At the beginning of the school year we proactively distribute papers to the parents informing them to follow us through our various media channels to keep up to date on the various exciting things happening at Keys 4 Success! The classroom teachers that witness the program first hand are our biggest supporters when it comes to encouraging parent involvement. A lot of classroom teachers keep us in mind and help us get referrals by reminding the parents about our private lessons and encourage them to look out for events with our program.
What do you look for in teachers that want to be a part of the Keys 4 Success team?
Our teachers are the face of what we do. We want them to have a passion for working with children as young as two with good classroom management and animation. We want them to have a passion for music. We want them to be good team players. We give our teachers a lot of creative freedom. We look to see how they display their unique creativity by making the lesson plans their own. We also want to be an enrichment program provider where our students can have a consistent teacher that is there to create and build a relationship with each student, helping them maximize their potential so great work ethic is a key for success in this role.
What does Keys 4 Success means for THE Better Future?
It means more students being creatively inspired.
It means more students that are emotionally equipped to handle challenges that come
their way.
It means more students learning to work cooperatively, appreciating the different cultures their team members come from.
It means more students finding an outlet for their passions and pursuing them.
Keys 4 Success is building THE Better Future.
By: Briana Holliday