Applicants must be 2023-2024 enrolled members of SYS

The Christine J. Cooper Lesson Assistance Program was established in 2018 by the family of Christine J. Cooper to support low-income families in paying for private lessons. The goals of the program are to provide opportunities for students who would otherwise be unable to afford lessons, to allow students to choose their instructor, to increase the diversity of the membership of the Spokane Youth Symphony, and to raise the overall caliber of all orchestras in the organization.

Eligibility & Application
Students who participate in any of the Spokane Youth Symphony orchestras and who qualify for free

or reduced-price meals during the school year are eligible for assistance through the program.
Students who wish to participate in the program must submit an application that includes a letter
showing qualification for free/reduced meals. If this is not available, they may submit a statement of
family income and household size. The application will also state the student's instrument and the name
and mailing address of their instructor.  A committee of the SYS Board of Directors will review and approve the applications.

Lesson Schedule & Fees

The program will help pay for current members of our orchestras who financially qualify for the scholarship for up to 4 lessons per month on a tiered basis as follows: NOTE: Private lessons may take place in an in-person or online format to qualify for the scholarship.

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Strings and Sinfonietta orchestra members: four 30 minute lessons per month during the SYS season (September- May) at $30/lesson. Students and their families will share the cost of the lessons. 

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Philharmonic orchestra members: four 45 minute lessons per month during the SYS season (September- May) at $45/lesson. Students and their families will share the cost of the lessons. 

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Symphony Orchestra members: four 60 minute lessons per month during the SYS season (September- May) at $60/lesson. Students and their families will share the cost of the lessons. 

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IMPORTANT: The SYS family of the student is responsible to locate a private teacher who will agree to the terms of the program. A private instructor list with phone numbers can be found at this link: Private Teachers

Note: Teachers who are listed on our website are not required to participate in this program. Instructor participation in the Christine J. Cooper Scholarship program is completely voluntary. Please contact the instructor to verify their participation. If the teacher has questions, please have them call Jennifer at

509-448-4446.

Reporting
Instructors will be required to submit a monthly report online for each student in their studio who
participates in the program. The report will indicate:
• How many lessons were scheduled for the month;
• How many times the student appeared for scheduled lessons; and
• Whether the student/family contribution has been paid.

SYS will pay the instructor directly after receiving each month's report.

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