IBMA’s Bluegrass in the Schools program runs an annual lesson plan competition which encourages school teachers to submit the lesson plan they have developed to teach children bluegrass music.

One of the winners for 2007 is Sally Stuart of Mayflower, AR. Sally won for her lesson plan Bluegrass, Our Musical Roots.

Just recently the NorthWest Edition of the Arkansas Democratic Gazette ran a feature story on Stuart’s efforts to teach children bluegrass music. The story focuses on an after-school program Stuart started to actually teach the children to play the music. She has a small group of children who were interested in learning to play and she has provided instruments for them to practice on, some paid for by herself, others donated.

The children will be performing for friends and family in the spring of 2008, at an outdoor concert.

Stuart got interested in teaching bluegrass to students after watching the Discover Bluegrass DVD produced by IBMA.

For more information on the program and how you can be involved, please visit the Bluegrass in the Schools webpage.