Best Communities for Music Education Award

The David Douglas School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. 

This is the thirteenth time we have been honored with this prestigious national recognition of our music program. We stand tall as one of the only three districts in Oregon to receive the award this year, alongside the Beaverton School District and Salem-Keizer Public Schools. 

This esteemed award program acknowledges the dedication of students, teachers, families, and community leaders nationwide who champion music education as a fundamental component of a comprehensive education. These awards are designated to districts and schools that exhibit a significant commitment to and accessibility of music education.

Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music: After two years of music education, researchers found that participants showed more substantial improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores than their less-involved peers and that students who are involved in music are not only more likely to graduate high school but also to attend college as well. In addition, everyday listening skills are stronger in musically trained children than in those without music training. Significantly, listening skills are closely tied to the ability to: perceive speech in a noisy background, pay attention, and keep sounds in memory. Later in life, individuals who took music lessons as children show stronger neural processing of sound: young adults and even older adults who have not played an instrument for up to 50 years show enhanced neural processing compared to their peers. Not to mention, social benefits include conflict resolution, teamwork skills, and how to give and receive constructive criticism.

Here at the David Douglas School District, we take great pride in our commitment to providing music education at all levels. We have consistently prioritized making music education accessible to every David Douglas student. 

This remarkable achievement would not have been possible without the dedication of our exceptional teachers, students, families, and community members. It is your collective effort that has brought this prestigious recognition to our district. 

Thank you for your support!

About The NAMM Foundation

The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,300 members around the world. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving, and public service programs. For more information about the NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.