American Children's Orchestras for Peace (ACOP)
Children for Peace Orchestras
Musicial Instruction for Children
ACOP’s main goals are to: improve each child’s musical aptitude knowledge; reduce negative behaviors, while improving social skills and peer-to-peer relationships; increase parental involvement in child activities; give children significantly positive and influential mentor-child relationships in their adult music instructors; keep children away from unhealthy patterns and those dangerous idle times in after school hours when they may be getting involved with street gangs and other violent activities.
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ACOP was created by a concept that music is one of the most powerful forms of communication, and can be utilized as a tool for peace and social change, and has grown organically with real children and parents in the most diverse and poorest communities of our city. ACOP set out to change the lives of children and have found along the way that what we do creates and transforms communities. We have found that not only do parents get involved and attend child performances – but so do many extended family members, friends and neighbors, especially among Latin/ Hispanic.
ACOP has been successfully awakening the youth’s competitive spirit, stimulating the children to improve their own abilities and promoting opportunities to build cultural understanding and good will.
Our Successes
Recognition for achievement
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has been quoted in saying “ACOP makes the world a better place…” watch the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SldAUtgNMo&feature=search.
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ACOP was recognized as a ‘2010 Top-Rated Arts Nonprofit’ in the nation by ‘Great Non-Profits’ and has a five star rating with Guidestar.org. ACOP has been awarded a 2011 Exemplary Dade Partner by Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
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ACOP’s Music Festival ‘Children for Peace’ is one of the most visible successes of the program. Parents, Children and supporters all come out in large number. The Music Festival is a showcase for the children to shine. This extraordinary event signifies the peace and friendship between children from different ethnic and religious backgrounds.
Furthermore, ACOP has created employment in the community of parents, who are thus able to contribute more to the success of the program. Working on common goals creates a sense of belonging and reinforces bonds between parents and children as well as between families and the community they live in. Children and parents are given an environment free of violence in which to flourish.
