This nationally acclaimed program enhances students’ education through the integration of music and art into the school curriculum, accomplished through six ACE program components.

ACE AT A GLANCE

• ACE integrates music and arts into daily core subjects, giving students a comprehensive learning experience
• Nationally recognized as a model in arts education
• ACE is celebrating its 23rd year during the 2012.13 school year
• 23 public and private schools, comprised of nine districts
• 7,500 students and 600 faculty and staff
• 26 Cultural Partners – local arts organizations including Milwaukee Ballet, The Skylight Opera, and American Indian Center
• Primarily grades K-5, also a middle school component
• Half of participating students are minorities and half come from low-income families
• 12 ACE schools are in the Milwaukee Public School District

SIX COMPONENTS OF THE ACE PROGRAM

1. ACE Curriculum – Teachers receive an ACE Resource Handbook, lesson plans, integration activity ideas, project planning frameworks, musician/artist visit preparation and follow-up, an ACE repertoire CD, and more. Each grade level has a different ACE theme, which is reinforced throughout the year through all ACE components.
2. Teacher In-Services – Six teacher in-services annually facilitate orientation of new teachers, interacting with ACE music, teaching ideas, activities, planning, etc.
3. Musician/Artist Visits – Each year, each ACE classroom receives three visits from ACE Ensembles, which are comprised of MSO musicians and/or artists from local arts organizations such as the Milwaukee Ballet, The Skylight Opera, and many more! These visits energize ACE themes and classroom learning.
4. Family Concert & Parent Newsletter – ACE involves parents as well as teachers and students. Each school hosts an ACE ensemble for a school-wide evening Family Concert and parents receive regular newsletters to update them on ACE happenings.
5. ACE Concert – The MSO performs a unique concert for each grade level, incorporating the themes and bringing all ACE classrooms of the same grade to Uihlein Hall.
6. Culminating Experience Project – ACE classrooms work throughout the year on a culminating group project which integrates the themes and grade learning targets and is used to assess progress.

ACE THEMES

• Kindergarten – Family of Music
• 1st Grade – Musical Tales (Storytellers)
• 2nd Grade – ACE Detectives
• 3rd Grade – ACE Architects
• 4th Grade – ACE Ethnographers
• 5th Grade – ACE Inventors

For more information about bringing ACE to your school, contact Rachel Stuen, Education and ACE Manager, at 414.226.7886 or at edu@mso.org.

ACE is generously supported in part by grants from the Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation, Helen Bader Foundation, Chase, Johnson Controls Foundation, Rockwell Automation, Joy Global Corporation and the Potawatomi Bingo Casino Miracle on Canal Street Program, as well as ANON Charitable Trust, Badger Meter Foundation, Brewers Community Foundation, Inc., Albert and Flora Ellinger Foundation, Ralph Evinrude Foundation, The Greater Milwaukee Foundation, The Harley-Davidson Foundation, Evan and Marion Helfaer Foundation, Krause Family Foundation, Maihaugen Foundation, MGIC Corporation, Mary L. Nohl Fund, Charles D. Ortgiesen Foundation,  Joseph R. Parker Foundation, Jane Bradley Pettit Foundation, Gene and Ruth Posner Foundation, Stackner Family Foundation, Bert L. and Patricia S. Steigleder Charitable Trust and the Vilter Foundation. ACE is also supported by an endowment from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.