Whin Music Community Charter School

The Washington heights and inwood Music Community Charter School (Whin) was founded to offer students from Washington heights and inwood a rigorous academic education and intensive daily musical instruction inspired by the internationally-renowned el sistema movement. Serving 486 students in grades k-8 when fully enrolled, Whin's vision is to create a positive learning environment that ensures all students are meeting or exceeding learning standards through a rigorous common core-aligned and music-infused curriculum enriched by intensive daily Music instruction and Community engagement. Our work will be continually guided by the values and practices of el sistema, striving to imbue students with a love of Music and learning and inspiring our entire School Community to become agents of change in the world through the pursuit of academic and musical excellence. Our program utilizes a project- and inquiry-based instructional model differentiated for each learner's unique needs and facilitates the development of our School Community through Music and social inclusion. These are proven strategies that provide students with executive function and self-regulation skills (based on three types of brain function: working memory, mental flexibility, and self-control), which have been identified as essential for improving academic achievement, developing positive behaviors, and building Community.