TeachRock

TeachRock is pleased to announce that we have received a grant from The Les Paul Foundation in support of a new initiative connecting music, technology, and hands-on invention through STEAM learning. The grant will fund the development of The Les Paul Collection, a curated set of free lessons on TeachRock.org exploring Les Paul’s invention of the solid-body electric guitar, the history of multi-track recording, and his enduring influence on music, technology, and culture.

As part of the initiative, TeachRock will host a national virtual professional development webinar showing educators how to integrate the Collection into interdisciplinary, project-based learning — including hands-on guitar-building projects that mirror Les Paul’s own spirit of tinkering and invention. The webinar will feature TeachRock Teacher Council member Toby Baugher, an Illinois educator who has developed a remarkable guitar-building project using TeachRock’s resources, offering attendees a real-world model for bringing this work to life in their own classrooms.

Through a competitive application process, a select group of pilot classrooms will receive Makey Makey boards and building materials to implement guitar-construction projects with their students — giving young people a tangible experience of the creative problem-solving that defined Les Paul’s career. Across all components of the initiative, more than 1,300 educators and students will be reached directly.

We are grateful to The Les Paul Foundation for their investment in music education and for recognizing TeachRock as a partner in keeping Les Paul’s legacy alive in schools nationwide.