Carlos Cantu Children’s Center
Encouraging Play Through Sound
Charles Connor
In the Little Village neighborhood, as well as in Pilsen, an organization called El Valor serves over 4,000 children, adults with disabilities, and families. I am looking to fundraise so that I can develop a musical playground at their Carlos Cantu Children’s Center location. This won’t be a regular playground with swings and slides however. I’m looking to build a playground with musical elements, so that the children can explore music and sound through play. Studies show that engagement with music through play in early childhood has many positive effects on a developing brain. In this community, children are not presented with as many opportunites as in more affluent areas. Any donations received would go directly toward developing a new musical play experience for the kids.
There are many benefits to musical playgrounds for children. According to the NIH, National Library of Medicine. "...we introduce the notion of rhythmic entrainment and suggest that it may represent a mechanism supporting learning and development of executive functions. It also hones temporal processing and orienting of attention in time that may underlie enhancements observed in reading and verbal memory. We conclude that musical training uniquely engenders near and far transfer effects, preparing a foundation for a range of skills, and thus fostering cognitive development."
Creating music and sound stimulates the brain, helps in relationships with peers as kids play together, as well as helping large and fine motor skills, and more. This is a great opportunity for the students learn and grow, and could have life changing impact for them.
Music is the key
Donate for a community that deserves it
The area where the Children's Center is located has an average of $22,299 Per capita income. This is about half the amount in Illinois: $45,104. (Data from Censusreporter.org). Despite this the Little Village and Pilsen areas are some of the most culturally significant and artistically diverse neighborhoods in Chicago. Unfortunately, many children live at or below the poverty line and do not have as many resources and opportunities as those who are more prosperous. I grew up with access to musical instruments, music lessons and more. The children who attend the Cantu Children's Center may not have all the resources I and many others have had. Having the ability to make music on their playground might be one of the main ways some of the children at the center get to experience making music.
● Donations
How to make an Impact
Carlos Cantu and El Valor
From El Valor’s website, “El Valor is one of the largest providers of early childhood education in the Chicagoland area. El Valor’s Children’s Programs support families through seamless, comprehensive programming that fosters creative and innovative child development services, parental involvement, and respect. Children’s development, including children with special needs, are strengthened through relationship building, community partnerships, professional leadership, strong management systems, and family support. El Valor works with more than 4,000 children under the age of five, 20% who are diagnosed with a developmental or physical disability.”
