Chase Goddard and Austin Weber, seniors at Rye Country Day School, recently made a presentation at the National Service Learning Conference in Washington, D.C.

Chase Goddard and Austin Weber, seniors at Rye Country Day School, recently made a presentation at the National Service Learning Conference in Washington, D.C. They spoke about A-Chord with Kids, a volunteer organization they founded that teaches music to children at the Carver Center in Port Chester.

A-Chord’s mission is “to foster in the Carver children a love, knowledge, and appreciation for music through interaction with accomplished, committed, and caring local high school musicians who wish to share the invaluable lifelong benefits of music with those who might not otherwise have the opportunity.” Each Saturday, Chase and Austin are joined by nearly two dozen Rye Country Day students in what has become an enduring tradition that reflects the school’s motto, “Not for Self, but for Service.”

At the Conference, Chase and Austin spoke to students and adults from around the country about how A-Chord with Kids has united students of different ages and backgrounds in making music together. The audience members left the session with new ideas and tips for implementing similar programs in their home schools and towns.