Initiatives for Youth

By Grant Wareham, Chair, Committee for Youth Development

The 2016 AGO National Convention promises to be a tremendous experience for all. I didn’t have to live here long to discover that Houston is an extremely vibrant city with a plethora of beautiful instruments and venues. Naturally, the Steering Committee, having invested years in preparation, is excited to share our beautiful city and collection of instruments with as many people as possible.

I’m excited to be in charge of making the convention friendlier for families with young children, youth, and young adults and college students.

Here is an overview of initiatives that all of us on the Committee for Youth Development are excited to be working on.

  • We are discounting tickets to the Dorothy Papadakos silent film on Wednesday, June 22 at First Methodist Church to make attending easier for families with children. General admission is $20 with $5 tickets for children under 12. Family tickets for $25 are available for families that include at least one child. Additionally, the National Council has graciously agreed to donate copies of “A Young Person’s Guide to the Organ” to the first 50 families that show up!
  • We are planning a High School Day for local high school students on Tuesday, June 21. For a nominal fee, students will be able to get a one-day “taste” of the convention! The high school students will attend morning convention seminars, then ride to two exciting afternoon recitals in a bus exclusively for them.
  • We are also offering limited housing scholarships to full-time students 16-30 years old with demonstrated financial need who are interested in attending the convention. These scholarships are designed to help ease the financial burden of attending.  
  • The scholarship application (a brief essay) is available to download below.  There is a March 15 application deadline. We expect to announce scholarship awards by April 1.
  • All students who register for the convention are offered a discounted rate.   The rate is $250 until May 14.  After May 14 the rate is $350.  You can learn more about registration on our Registration Information page.  The transportation package (highly recommended) has a discounted rate for students of $89.

I am greatly looking forward to this June when the AGO Convention will showcase Houston’s terrific organs to regular convention attendees, while expanding the experience to families, students in Houston and students from around the country.

Click here to download the scholarship application.