CE&O Impact

The CE&O council has four areas of outreach:

Grants to K-12 Music Programs provide support to Seattle area school music programs (K-12),
Charitable Outreach supports other 501(c)3 charities focused on education and support of women and children.
Public Programs provides educational public programs/lectures for the benefit of the community.

Grants to K-12 Music Programs

CE&O's Music Counts! program is designed to provide grants to public school music teachers for "scores" of needs from coaching, instrument repairs and sheet music, to new instruments and educational materials. Grants have been awarded to elementary, middle, and high school programs (see charts below). Over the past 11 years close to $134,000 in grants have been awarded to Seattle area schools’ music programs, and the numbers of grants awarded have increased from 5 in 2011 to 47 in 2022.

The Gendler Grants Program is made possible thanks to the generosity of the late Natalie Gendler, WUC member and long-time advocate for music programs in the schools. These grants focus on funding durable, significant improvements to a school’s music program and are directed to low-resourced schools with high student body diversity, high percentages of Free/Reduced Lunch, and high incidence of homelessness among students, or other indications of significant challenges.

In 2020, the first recipient of a Gendler Grant was Amy Stevenson, Music Department Chair at Lynnwood High School. She received a two-year grant to expand her school’s professional coaching program and enlarge the music library to include more women composers and composers of color.

In 2021, three Gendler grants were awarded:

Mark Edgbert, Music Specialist, K-5 at Rising Star Elementary @ African American Academy, received a one-year grant to fund the purchase of two packages—a drumming package (includes drums and percussion instruments) and a barred instrument package.

Kathryn Lenoue, Music Teacher at Rainier Beach HS, received a one-year grant to fund the purchase of a set of African marimbas.

Robert Morgan, Music teacher, Secondary Academy for Success, received a grant spanning three years to fund coaching services, repair and replacement of certain instruments, and the purchase of software to assist in virtual learning.

In 2022, three Gendler grants were awarded:

Hilary Eldridge, Music Teacher at Olympic Hills Elementary, received a one-year grant to purchase 8 sets of Jumbi Jam steel drums,1 set of Sonor Global Beat GBWEST-15 Classroom Bundle, and 10 Sonor Global Beat sopran ato xylophones.

Catherine Feller, Music Teacher at Lynndale Elementary received a one-year grant to purchase four tenor pans, a double second pan, as well as stands and cases for these new instruments, and three existing pans

Brian Woolford, Music Teacher at Westgate Elementary received a one-year grant for the purchase of twelve marimbas

In 2023, four Gendler grants were awarded:

Melanie Gunn, Music Teacher at Whitman Middle School received a one-year grant to fund Wenger Instrument storage lockers.

Erynne Johns Smith, Music Teacher at Christa McAuliffe Elementary received a one-year grant to purchase a drumming set and hand held percussion instruments.

Kathleen Raschko, Music Teacher at Kimball Elementary received a one-year grant to purchase a set of Yamaha keyboards with accessories, and 24 concert ukuleles.

Kylene Ries, Music Teacher at Oak Heights Elementary received a one-year grant to purchase a set of six Wenger FlipFORMS risers.

The CE&O Council thanks you for your support and urges you to think of music teachers you may know who could use financial help and urge them to apply for either of these grants.

Holiday Charity

2020 The Elizabeth Gregory Home offers a welcoming and respectful refuge where homeless and at-risk women have access to compassionate care including hygiene, mental health, nutrition, medical and dental assistance, housing and financial stability.

2019 Mary's Place provides safe, inclusive shelter and services that support women, children and families on their journey out of homelessness. On Valentine's Day, a check for $7,000 was delivered to Mary's Place! These funds were generously donated by WUC members to support the important work of Mary's Place in helping women and families move out of homelessness.

2018 Parent Trust for Washington Children helps meet the needs of families transitioning into parenthood by helping find resources, parenting classes, and new parent education. These are available to parents, caregivers, and anyone who has an interest or questions about a child in their community. Community Education & Outreach Council collected $3,500 to support this program, which helps women with addiction issues to develop effective parenting skills.

2017 Eastside Baby Corner helps kids reach their full potential tomorrow by meeting basic needs today. They provide necessities for children so that EBC's partners – schools, human service agencies, food banks, hospitals – can help families become stable, safe, housed, fed and employed. A check for $4,375 was presented to EBC in March 2018.

Public Programs

Ellen Stewart Blom Memorial Arts Lecture Series

2022 The Fourth, and final, Blom Lecture, October 22, 2022, brought us acclaimed novelist Elizabeth George, who shared her knowledge of the art and craft of writing a novel.

2019 The Third Blom lecture, September 22, 2019, was presented by Lynda V. Mapes, Science and Environment reporter for The Seattle Times, and author of several books, most recently Witness Tree: Seasons of Change with a Century-Old Oak.

2018 The Second Blom Lecture, August 12, 2018, featured Jim Lynch, novelist, whose most recent book was Truth Like the Sun (2012).

2017 The First Blom Lecture, August 6, 2017, was presented by Phil Borges, social documentary photographer and filmmaker, whose recent works included Crazywise and Stirring the Fire: A Global Movement to Empower Women and Girls.

Other Shared Community Programs

2019 Secret Lives of Muslims. Co-sponsored by the WUC Foundation, Seattle Rotary, the City of Seattle Human Rights Commission, World Without Hate, and the Muslim Association of Puget Sound. A screening of episodes of this web series, followed by a panel discussion, and open Q&A.

2018 I am Jane Doe. The Community Education & Outreach Council partnered with the Rotary Club of Seattle to sponsor a screening of “I Am Jane Doe” — a documentary film highlighting the fight against sex trafficking in America. (Learn more at iamjanedoefilm.com.)