WV Department of Arts, Culture, and History partners with Wing 2 Wing and Save The Music Foundations
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, and History (WVDACH) announced a partnership with the Wing 2 Wing Foundation and the Save The Music Foundation to support the arts in education.
The Wing 2 Wing Foundation has contributed $280,000 to the WVDACH in its ongoing partnership with the Save The Music Foundation to improve the instrument rebuild project in middle schools through the state. With the donation, fourteen additional middle schools in West Virginia will benefit over the next three years, eventually reaching students across all 55 counties.
Making sure our kids have the resources they need to succeed should be a priority for all of us. I’m happy to know that it’s a priority for the Wing 2 Wing Foundation because, with their donation, we are making sure students all across West Virginia have what they need to show their creativity. Music is one of the best forms of expression, and it warms my heart to know so many kids will have the opportunity to display their artistic talents.
Governor Jim Justice
With the generous support of the Wing 2 Wing Foundation, we now have the resources to achieve our goal of providing accessible music education in every eligible middle school throughout West Virginia. This partnership allows us to supply quality instruments to students statewide, ensuring that all children have the opportunity to make music.
Chiho Feindler | Chief Program Officer, Save The Music
The Wing 2 Wing Foundation, founded by Brad D. and Alys Smith, aims to champion dignity while unleashing potential in West Virginia. While aspiration and talent are evenly distributed across a population, opportunity is not.
Wing 2 Wing has set their focus on changing that reality through investments in education, entrepreneurship, and the environment. By spreading opportunities throughout Appalachia, the Wing 2 Wing Foundation serves as a beacon of hop for similar regions across the world.
Prosperity occurs when we equip the next generation with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel, but this can only happen when access to education is truly equal. Playing in the school band had a significant impact on my and Alys’s educational experience during our youth and early childhood, so we’re thrilled to enable similar experiences by expanding access to musical instruments throughout all 55 counties.”
Brad D. Smith | Marshall University President, Co-Founder of The Wing 2 Wing Foundation
Save The Music and Wing 2 Wing Foundation Schools include:
2025
Glenwood School, Mercer County
Harts Pk8, Lincoln County
Road Branch School, Wyoming County
South Charleston Middle School, Kanawha County
Spencer Middle School, Roane County
Valley PK-8 School, Fayette County
Walton Middle School, Roane County
2026
Burch PK-8 School, Mingo County
East Fairmont Middle School, Marion County
Green Bank PK8, Pocahontas County
Southside PK-8, McDowell County
West Fairmont, Marion County
2027
East Bank Middle School, Kanawha County
John Adams Middle School, Kanawha County
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