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Peace Tracks

Create Positive Change in the World Through Music & Virtual International Youth Exchange

Peace Tracks is a cross-cultural, music-focused online youth exchange that provides high school students with an unforgettable opportunity to connect with peers in other countries to get to know them, learn about their cultures, and collaborate over the course of a semester on an original song.

Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

Web presence

2021

Established

1K

Children

6

Countries
Target group
Students upper
Updated
August 2023
Equity in global learning.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

To provide youth an opportunity to make global connections and inspire and empower them to use music to collaborate on creating the change they want to see in the world.

Peace Tracks was co-founded by the Plugged In Band Program (www.pluggedinband.org) in Boston, MA and MapWorks Learning (www.mapworkslearning.org/) in Washington, DC.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

Each session begins with students sharing about themselves, their musical tastes, and their culture. Each band then selects a theme for their song about issues their generation or culture is facing and the positive change they want to create in the world. Each band then writes lyrics collaboratively, and creates, performs, records, and mixes music for their song using Soundtrap, a digital audio workstation. Next, each band creates a story board, gathers video footage, and edits their music video using WeVideo, a video editing platform. Occasional live video conferences on Zoom help students get to know each other better. The session culminates in a live-streamed concert on YouTube with participants celebrating each other’s work through a live chat. Classroom teachers from partner schools join Plugged In Band Program staff in facilitating and moderating interactions among the students.

How has it been spreading?

Peace Tracks has been spreading by word of mouth. Peace Tracks also received a 2 year grant from the Stevens Initiative (part of the Aspen Institute).

If I want to try it, what should I do?

Send an email to jointheband@peacetracks.org.

Implementation steps

Identify teachers and students
Identify teachers and students who are interested in participating in Peace Tracks (music experience isn't necessary)
Connect with schools in other countries
Identify schools in other countries who will participate in the virtual exchange.
Identify a collaborative platform to use
Peace Tracks uses Narrative Atlas.
Engage music teachers to lead the virtual bands
Each virtual band is led by a music teacher.
Identify a collaborative music creating tool
Peace Tracks uses Soundtrap
Identify a collaborative video editing app
Peace Tracks uses WeVideo
Hold a live stream concert on YouTube
Once all of the bands have written, performed/created and original song - and created a music video, stream all of the videos in a live concert on YouTube.

Spread of the innovation

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