Looking Back On A School Season of “Real Love”
The Spring of 2024 was a season of several notable firsts for our
John Lennon Real Love Project public school songwriting program.
The season kicked off on May 3 with the first-ever JLRLP to be held at a school in Brooklyn.
The honor went to P.S. 59, the Dawn Best School.
"There’s so much for students to learn about John Lennon’s message of kindness. And being able to share that message connects with and resonates with the kids. We saw that connection and passion in the classroom today.”
— Zachary Mack, Assistant Principal
The following week brought us to P.S. 333, The Manhattan School for Children, located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the neighborhood John and Yoko called home. It was our 20th school since the program launched in June of 2021!
“Students are going to talk about this experience at home with excitement and the parents are going to be really happy when they see the results. It’s really beautiful. I wish every school in New York City got to do this project.”
—Alejandro Molano, Teacher
Four days later we were back in Brooklyn, this time at P.S. 84, the Jose de Diego School.
“Children have a very difficult time expressing how they feel, which is why the John Lennon Real Love Project is so important. It’s an outlet for students to express their feelings.” — Amanda Gonzalez, Music Teacher
At the end of May we traveled to the Benjamin Cosor School in Fallsburg, NY, the eighth elementary school we’ve been to in Sullivan, making it the first country in which we’ve visited all of its elementary schools.
“I would absolutely recommend the JLRLP to other schools! It’s a great way for all the kids to be involved in something that brings them together. They learn a lot about each other while generating something that’s very emotional. It’s something that most of them don’t do, yet they all got up there and did something amazing.” — Rachel Kleiman Emory, Music Teacher
The spring season concluded on June 4 at Family School 32 in Yonkers, which became the first school to host the
John Lennon Real Love Project for a second time.
“We brainstormed about how love is needed and how love can change people. That was really fun. I liked that we got to actually sing with John Lennon and that’s it’s going to be on YouTube.” — Sebastian Morelo, Student
In the upcoming fall season, Theatre Within will bring the award-winning John Lennon Real Love Project to five additional schools!
