Beth DeSalvo (in photo at right, receiving her award from Bright House Networks marketing manager Brooke Krodel), a speech-language therapist at Ernie Pyle Elementary School (IPS No. 90), won the 2010 “Get Schooled: Educate Motivate and Inspire” competition hosted by Bright House Networks in partnership with Get Schooled, a national education program co-developed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Viacom.

DeSalvo will receive a $2,000 educational grant that she’ll use to buy new books for students undergoing speech-language therapy. She started her own library in her school’s therapy room and entered the competition in hopes of receiving funding to add to her collection of 100 books, specifically obtaining more books for first- and second-grade students

Mark Hodges and Parker Myers, who graduated from Carmel High School in May, won a national honorable mention in C-SPAN’s national 2010 StudentCam competition their senior year. The duo submitted a video documentary titled “Homeless in America” that focused on homelessness and its challenges to the nation. Hodges and Myers will each receive a $500 educational grant from Bright House Networks as the local winner of the competition. Hal Espey, broadcasting instructor at Carmel High School, will receive a $1,000 educator’s grant for representing the efforts of Hodges and Myers.

DeSalvo, Hodges and Myers will be honored at a June 24 Bright House Networks Education Celebration Gala in Orlando, Fla.

American Idol

Allen recently signed a new record contract with Universal Music. His self-titled debut album has sold more than 250,000 copies and his latest single,” Live Like We’re Dying,” recently reached No. 18 on the Billboard charts.

The 7 p.m. concert at Conseco Fieldhouse is a free event but tickets are required for admission. Tickets are available at any IPS elementary school.

The concert is the finale for the “Save the Music” initiative that began in 2000 by Bright House Networks and VH1 Save The Music Foundation. When Bright House Networks first joined forces with VH1 Save The Music Foundation to help IPS, music programs were virtually non-existent in the elementary schools and suffering badly in the higher grades because of budgetary constraints and the high cost of instruments.

Since, Bright House Networks and VH1 Save The Music Foundation have provided 42 IPS schools with $1.13 million of new musical instruments to restart IPS’s instrumental music program, including band and strings programs, for elementary, middle and high school students.

The honor will be awarded Thursday (Feb. 11) at the general session of the American Association of School Administrator’s (AASA) National Conference on Education in Phoenix.

White was chosen for his commitment to ensuring that music education is part of the core curriculum in all 64 IPS schools. He became superintendent of IPS with the goal of the district becoming a model urban school district. He implemented many groundbreaking changes to the system, including his vision that a model urban school district would include instrumental, choral and general music programs in all schools by 2010. White made the commitment to ensure all schools had certified music teachers and that the district was staffed with music supervisor positions to coordinate and foster quality music education in the district. In August 2009, that goal was met and all students in IPS have access to the benefits of music education.

Since 2000, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation and partner Bright House Networks have provided 42 IPS schools with $1.13 million of new musical instruments to jumpstart the district’s elementary instrumental music programs and the success has been maintained by the continued support of both White and the IPS Board of School Commissioners. Instrumental music, including band and strings programs, are offered to students in elementary, middle and high schools. Under White’s leadership, the district has revived the All City Choir, district music festivals and in 2009 a summer music camp that included transportation, breakfast and lunch free to IPS students.

When Bright House Networks first joined VH1 Save The Music Foundation to re-create music education programs throughout IPS, music programs were virtually non-existent in the elementary schools and suffering in the higher grades because of budgetary constraints and the high cost of musical instruments, said Wayde Klein, vice president of marketing and customer operations for Bright House Networks Indiana.

“We at Bright House Networks believe it is critically important to help keep music alive in our schools and for children at early ages and beyond to have the opportunity to express and challenge themselves with music,” Klein said. “Today, these schools have dedicated and talented teachers leading vibrant musical exploration instructions that are equipped with free instruments for students. This far-reaching and high-impact initiative would not have been possible without Dr. White’s devotion to each school that IPS serves and his dedication to keeping music alive for IPS students.”

The company is also teaming up with the Art Institute of Indianapolis, Indianapolis Public Schools and the Penrod Society to create the Legacy Art Initiative to benefit the arts culture of Indianapolis and provide opportunities in the arts for Indianapolis students. In the first phase of the Legacy Art Initiative, IPS students in grades kindergarten through 12 created canvas art that will be displayed in Lucas Oil Stadium this season. Bright House will also be sponsoring Colts mascot Blue’s appearance in October’s Circle City Classic Parade.