MusiCounts invests a historic $1.1 million into music programs in 85 schools across Canada

Schools in every province and territory receive desperately-needed musical instruments, gear, and resources.

TORONTO, Sept. 9, 2025 /CNW/ – MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity, is proud to announce the investment of $1.1 million in instruments, equipment, and gear through its school music funding programs – the MusiCounts Band Aid Program and the MusiCounts Slaight Family Foundation Innovation Fund – to support 85 high-needs schools across the country. This marks the largest disbursement in the charity’s 28-year history, with schools in every province and territory receiving funds.

Since 1997, MusiCounts has provided under-resourced schools with grants to keep school music programs alive. In that time, over $19 million worth of instruments, gear, and resources has been delivered to schools in high-needs communities, ensuring young people have access to music education.

“Music classrooms are the beating heart of any school, and MusiCounts is proud to support 85 schools in high-needs communities with the instruments they need to keep that beat alive. With these resources, students nationwide will build connections with their peers, find their voice, and learn healthy ways to cope with their emotions,” said Kristy Fletcher, President of MusiCounts/COO of The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. “Though we’re making a difference in these 85 communities, there is still so much work to be done.”

Despite its vital role in Canadian culture, music education remains chronically underfunded. Among the schools receiving MusiCounts funding this year, 20% report having no annual funding at all to sustain programming. Demand far exceeds supply, with MusiCounts able to support just 1 in 5 schools that seek funding.

Applications for the 2026 MusiCounts School Music Funding Programs are open now. To learn more about MusiCounts or to donate in support of the charity’s programs, please visit musicounts.ca.

2025 MusiCounts School Funding Recipients

*indicates funding through the MusiCounts Slaight Family Foundation Innovation Fund, indicating a tech-forward or culturally-relevant approach to music education being funded

Alberta

Cremona School – Cremona

École Notre Dame Elementary School – Bonnyville

Inner City High School – Edmonton*

Kapawe’no First Nation Collegiate (Buffalo Bay Academy) – Grouard*

Master’s Academy & College – Calgary (CBC Passion Prize winner)

Mînî Thnî Community School – Mînî Thnî*

Nellie McClung School – Calgary

Parkdale Elementary School – Wetaskwin

Rosemary School – Rosemary*

Victoria Park High School – Lethbridge*

British Columbia

Britannia Community Elementary School – Vancouver

Betty Huff Elementary – Surrey, BC (CBC Music Class Challenge Passion Prize winner)

Chief Tomat Elementary – West Kelowna

Colleen and Gordie Howe Middle School – Abbotsford*

Daaxiigan Sḵ’adaa Née – Masset

École Citadel Middle School – Port Coquitlam*

École Glenmore Elementary – Kelowna

H.J. Cambie Secondary School – Richmond

Lena Shaw Elementary School- Surrey*

Maywood Community School – Burnaby*

Sea View Elementary School – Port Alice

Manitoba

Albright School – Morris

École New Era School – Brandon

Norquay Community School – Winnipeg*

Petit Casimir Memorial School – Lac Brochet*

New Brunswick

École Donat-Robichaud – Cap-Pelé

École La Source – Tracadie

École Régionale Saint-Basile – Edmundston

Parkwood Heights Elementary School – Bathurst

River Valley Middle School – Grand Bay-Westfield

Saint Mary’s Academy – Edmundston*

Newfoundland and Labrador

Baltimore School – Ferryland

Gill Memorial Academy – Musgrave Harbour

Hillview Academy – Norris Arm

St. Lewis Academy – St. Lewis*

Northwest Territories

Range Lake North School – Yellowknife*

Deninu School – Fort Resolution*

Nova Scotia

Allison Bernard Memorial High School – Eskasoni*

Bible Hill Junior High School – Truro*

G.R. Saunders Elementary – Stellarton

Greenfield Elementary School – New Waterford

John Bernard Croak VC Memorial School – Glace Bay

St. Mary’s Education Centre/Academy – Sherbrooke

Sydney Mines Middle School – Sydney Mines

Nunavut

Arviligruaq Ilinniarvik School – Kugaaruk*

Ontario

Baycrest Public School – Toronto

Brandon Gate Public School – Mississauga

Carleton Village Junior and Senior Sports and Wellness Academy – Toronto*

Darcel Ave. Sr. Public School – Mississauga*

Dunrankin Drive Public School – Mississauga*

E.I. McCulley School – St. Catharines

East York Alternative Secondary School – East York (Toronto)*

École élémentaire publique Terre des Jeunes – Alexandria

Georgian Bay District Secondary School – Midland

Glen Orchard Public School – Port Carling

Greenfield Elementary School – New Waterford

Huron Centennial Public School – Brucefield

Maple Ridge Public School – Pickering

Milliken Mills Public School – Markham

Molly Brant Elementary School – Kingston

Nepean High School – Ottawa (MusiCounts Teacher of the Year prize)

Rockland District High School – Rockland

Simcoe County District School Board, Indigenous Education Department – Midhurst*

St. Catharines Collegiate – St. Catharines*

St. Joseph Catholic School – Tilbury

Stamford Collegiate – Niagara Falls

Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute – Toronto

Westview Elementary School – Hamilton

Woodville Elementary School – Woodville

Prince Edward Island

Charlottetown Rural High School – Charlottetown*

Quebec

Centre de réadaptation pour jeune en difficulté d’adaptation (CRJDA) – Sainte-Thérèse*

Chateauguay Valley Regional High School – Ormstown

École Bruyère/St-Charles – Drummondville

École du Caps-des-Neiges – Saint-Ferréol-Les-Neiges

École internationale de Saint-Sacrement – Québec City

École Léonard-De Vinci – Montréal

École Maria-Goretti – Sorel-Tracy

École secondaire de Matane – Matane

École Secondaire Le Tremplin – Malartic

Métis Beach School – Métis-sur-mer

Springdale Elementary School – Dollard Des Ormeaux

Saskatchewan

Montgomery School – Saskatoon

Minahik Waskahigan High School – Pinehouse Lake*

Yukon

F.H. Collins Secondary School – Whitehorse

Johnson Elementary School – Watson Lake

Whistle Bend Elementary School – Whitehorse

About MusiCounts

MusiCounts is Canada’s music education charity associated with CARAS and the JUNO Awards. MusiCounts’ vision is to ensure that all youth in Canada have access to music education through their schools and communities. This vision is realized through grant programs that invest directly into schools and communities across Canada that put musical instruments into the hands of kids who need them the most. Additionally, MusiCounts creates educational resources for teachers and students; empowers young people to pursue music as a career; and celebrates teachers, artists, and philanthropists who champion music education.

MusiCounts is funded by many of Canada’s most dedicated individuals and corporate citizens including SiriusXM Canada, The Slaight Family Foundation, Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, Bell Media, The MusiCounts Leadership Circle, Rogers, RBC, and The Hot Topic Foundation. MusiCounts has been supported since its inception by Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc., Universal Music Canada, Warner Music Canada Ltd., and the JUNO Awards. MusiCounts was established in 1997, and has awarded more than $19,000,000 in support of music education in Canada. These funds have benefitted nearly 1,600 schools and communities, supported over 290 post-secondary music program graduates, and honoured 20 extraordinary music teachers and seven philanthropists.

www.musicounts.ca

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SOURCE MusiCounts