TeachRock launches Les Paul-inspired STEAM initiative with foundation grant

TeachRock has announced a new initiative that will bring Les Paul’s story into interdisciplinary classroom learning, combining music, technology and hands-on creativity. Backed by a grant from The Les Paul Foundation, the project will include a curated set of free teaching materials, professional development for educators and practical guitar-building activity for selected pilot classrooms.

The new Les Paul Collection on TeachRock.org will explore Les Paul’s role in the development of the solid-body electric guitar, the history of multi-track recording and his wider impact on music, technology and culture.

As part of the initiative, TeachRock will host a national virtual professional development webinar to show educators how the materials can be used in project-based STEAM learning. The session will feature TeachRock Teacher Council member Toby Baugher, an Illinois educator who has created a guitar-building project using TeachRock resources.

Through a competitive application process, a number of pilot classrooms will also receive Makey Makey boards and building materials to support guitar-construction projects with students. TeachRock said the wider initiative will directly reach more than 1,300 educators and students.

Founded by Stevie Van Zandt, TeachRock is a US-based platform offering free, standards-aligned educational resources that use music to support learning across a wide range of subjects and age groups. The organisation says more than 80,000 educators from over 30,000 schools have registered to use TeachRock.org, including teachers in all 50 US states as well as in England, Spain and Norway.

TeachRock operates as part of The Rock and Soul Forever Foundation and has worked with organisations including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Museum, Scholastic, CNN, PBS and ABC News.