NEW YORK (July 8, 2024) – AXS TV and Spectrum announced today that Eagle Academy for Young Men, of Queens, NY, has been selected to receive a $10,000 grant as part of “AXS TV’s Band Together For Music Education”—an ongoing initiative connecting AXS TV with affiliates, local communities, and schools to support vital music education programs and the benefits they provide students.
The award was presented by Spectrum’s Director of Government and Community Strategy Jonelle Johnson and AXS TV’s Gyneen Meyers, during the school’s annual spring recital at the end of June, as part of the Academy’s graduation ceremony where 40 young men graduated. The ceremony featured remarks by Eagle Academy Principal Dr. Christopher Smith and Eagle Academy Assistant Principal Dawn Story Rodgers.
The keynote speaker, New York City Schools Chancellor David C. Banks, joined the celebration for his significant role in the development of the Eagle Academy. As the founding principal of the first Eagle Academy for Young Men in the Bronx and later as President and CEO of the Eagle Academy Foundation, Chancellor Banks has been crucial in guiding the institution’s mission.
Public school music programs often experience a severe lack of funding and are the first casualties when budget cuts are made—a problem that has only increased in recent years. “AXS TV’s Band Together For Music Education” initiative seeks to rectify this, awarding grants to school-age music education programs across the country. These candidates are established programs that exemplify top leadership, instruction, and participation, yet also demonstrate a strong need for further funding and support. Selected teachers can then use the grant to purchase music, fix broken instruments or buy new ones, repair or replace performance equipment and uniforms, and address any other needs that the music program may have. Eagle Academy is using the funds for after-school musical activities.