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Mar Vista High School’s Guitar Class of 2012-2013.
Even a modest grant can nourish an idea that grows beyond what was ever originally anticipated.
In 2012, Peter Honan was awarded $1,000 from The San Diego Foundation to fund a project for the upcoming school year.
With the award, Honan developed supplemental guitar lessons for four core subjects: math, science, English and history. For example, students studied the mathematical formulas of musical scales, practiced creative writing by composing song lyrics, and learned about electronics and electromagnetism while being taught to play the electric guitar.
The “Guitar Core” curriculum, an offshoot of the term “Common Core,” the new national educational initiative, was a success with students, and Honan has used the lessons every year since.
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“This was the first time most of the students learned anything about electricity or electronics,” Honan said. “Except for a small section in the fourth grade, the California Science Standards contain exactly nothing about electricity or electronics. The Border Education Project is working to fill that void in California education.”
Honan’s guitar lessons, which can be used by educators everywhere, are available for free online and have been downloaded hundreds of times.
Building on the success of Guitar Core, Honan and his fellow teachers, Alex Ramirez and Gene Chavira, recently secured 501(c)(3) status for The Border Education Project. The new organization brings a 21st century education to students on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico Border.
Teacher Peter Honan teaching a student in his “Guitar Core” class.
The organization teaches students about what’s underneath the surface of our technology.
By learning about the inner-workings of a computer and other machines we use every day, The Border Education Project is empowering young people to gain a deeper understanding of technology and pursue future opportunities in related career fields.
Read more about The Border Education Project here. Or consider funding the future of education with a contribution to The San Diego Foundation.
On August 9, 2022, we awarded $838,704 in Opening the Outdoors grants to 24 nonprofit organizations that offer equitable access to outdoor spaces in San Diego County.
“San Diego Foundation is proud to once again support its partners committed to increasing community-driven efforts to enhance accessible outdoor space, encourage youth to learn more through hands-on education and create the next generation of environmental stewards in the San Diego region,” said Christiana DeBenedict, SDF Director of Environment Initiatives.
This year’s grantees will help address these inequities and enhance access to the outdoors throughout San Diego County.
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