Pennie Peck

Peck’s innovative teaching idea, “Performing Arts Lab,” focuses on providing students with the instruments and materials needed for an engaging elementary level performing arts education. Though the Composition Performing Arts Lab at Pioneer School of the Arts has been primarily centered on piano keyboard instruction, Peck conducted a successful trial unit with borrowed ukuleles last year. Now, she hopes to use the Voya grant to purchase a set of ukuleles, in order to give students in each class the opportunity to use their own instruments, which will save valuable instruction time. Peck believes this project will greatly improve the musical education and performance skills of individual students and strengthen the school community as a whole.