The Latin GRAMMY® Cultural Foundation, in collaboration with the Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic entity of Ford Motor Company, donated $40,000 worth of musical instruments to the Robert Morgan Educational Center and Hialeah Gardens Middle School in Miami, Florida.
The donation was part of a Latin GRAMMY En Las Escuelas™ virtual educational program, which included a conversation and performance by five-time Latin GRAMMY®-winning and GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter and producer Camilo.
“Talent is a seed that flourishes if nurtured through constant practice and there are many people, especially my family, who encouraged me to pursue my heart and dreams while giving me the space, time and my guitar to cultivate my passion,” said Camilo. “I feel blessed to be with the students and give their best with Latin GRAMMY in Schools, sharing the opportunity for young people to follow their hearts and pursue their dreams.”
This donation comes at a time when it is most needed. The Instrumental Music Program at the Robert Morgan Educational Center has been experiencing difficulties in the last year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and is in the process of recovering. This donation will help put instruments into the hands of students that will be the cornerstones of the school’s music program renaissance. During program recovery, this support will ensure that music programs are a vital aspect of students’ education.
The band program at Hialeah Gardens Middle School has grown each year since its inception in 2009. The recent generous grant from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, in partnership with the Ford Motor Company Fund, will help expand and enhance the current courses that the school offers so that more students in our community can receive instrumental music classes.
Since the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation began its partnership with the Ford Fund in 2014, more than 26,810 students have benefited from the donation of musical instruments with a total value of almost $520,000 to schools in cities in the United States such as Aransas Pass, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and New York, as well as in other places around the world, such as Buenos Aires, Argentina; Mexico City, Mexico; and Arecibo, Humacao, Yauco and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
