Reach Teach Play

“In 1965, the Ravinia Women’s Board planted the seeds of Reach Teach Play with the Opportunity Lawn Pass program, which gave students free access to concerts. This program led to other initiatives that served as the nucleus of the current signature Reach Teach Play program“, said program director Christine Taylor.

Many of the unique musical experiences for children and communities presented under Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play education programs have been initiated by the Ravinia Women’s Board and now reach over 75,000 participants in the Chicagoland area.  In the mid-1960s Women’s Board members encouraged the festival to provide free tickets to under-served individuals and groups who otherwise would not have been able to attend concerts.

With a growing awareness of music’s impact on young people, the Women’s Board focused its attention on providing tickets to master classes and Chicago Symphony Orchestra concerts for aspiring musicians studying in community music schools.  Board members volunteered their time and talent to introduce Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf to students in inner-city elementary schools.  Most recently, the Women’s Board has provided partial scholarships to graduating seniors in the Jazz Scholars program.

Sistema Ravinia, Ravinia’s latest and most innovative education program, was spearheaded by the Women’s Board.  The program, Ravinia’s vision of an intensive orchestral music education program, fosters social development through exceptional music training for underserved students in Chicago and Lake County.  Inspired by Venezuela’s acclaimed “El Sistema” model, the program provides students with daily ensemble and orchestra instruction in their instrument.

Sistema Ravinia’s first program site was launched with the support of the Women’s Board at Catalyst Circle Rock School located in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood.  With the success of the Circle Rock site, Sistema Ravinia was extended to Lake County, with Ravinia as the central campus for instruction and rehearsals.

Today Ravinia is REACHING thousands of people in underserved communities through music, TEACHING over 15,000 public school students and ensuring that those children have the opportunity to sing and PLAY instruments and experience live performances from world-class musicians.  The Women’s Board is thrilled to help cultivate this innovative and impactful program.