About the Funds
Fly Me to the Foon Scholarship Fund
At Oakland School for the Arts, Neel studied classical and jazz guitar. In his memory we created scholarships for students in the Instrumental Music Department. The scholarships are $2,000 each, and are awarded to four students each year, two from the middle school and two from the high school. The awardees can use their scholarship money towards private music lessons, a new instrument, or both. The scholarship is housed and administered through the East Bay Community Foundation.
The Instrumental Music Department at OSA offers instruction in Guitar, Jazz, Orchestra, Chamber Music, and Piano. Students from all of these programs are eligible to apply for the scholarships. The annual scholarship application process begins in September and the winners are announced at the winter concert in December. The students must submit two letters of recommendation with their application which include four short essays on how music informs their lives. The scholarship committee is made up of teachers and administrators from Oakland School for the Arts and one member of the Foon family. The selection process is overseen by the fund manager from the East Bay Community Foundation.
Oakland School for the Arts is a public charter school in the Oakland Unified School District that opened its doors in 2002 with a mission to offer immersive arts experiences in a college preparatory setting. The school curriculum revolves around the concept of integration, both between academic subjects and with the arts. OSA currently serves 795 students in grades 6-12.
Neel had a great sense of humor so we asked the students to come up with a name for the scholarship that they thought he would like. From the submissions the scholarship committee chose Fly me to the Foon. We know Neel would approve.
Foontastic Music & Art Fund
Neel attended the Montessori Family School (MFS) from preschool through 8th grade. It was at MFS that Neel’s love of music evolved into his life passion. In his memory we created the Foontastic Music & Art Fund. The majority of the funds (80%) are used to grow the music program through the purchase of new instruments and offering more music classes to all grades. The funds also allow the school to bring guest speakers and artists to teach various musical styles and genres, and to support musical field trips to nearby venues, exposing students to the rich and diverse musical scene in the San Francisco Bay Area. The chromatic instruments purchased with the funds have allowed the students access to styles of music like jazz. One benefit is that it better prepares the older students for band and orchestra programs in high school, not to mention an expanded view of what music can be! This year the middle school class will be introduced to North Indian classical music through a 12-week residency with Ali Akbar College of Music.
The remaining 20% of the funds are used to support the theater program, allowing opportunities for students to learn how to create a complete performance, everything from planning, staging and acting in school plays. The theater program also supports costuming (very homegrown, but kids organize it) and set design as well.
If you visit MFS you will see a “Buddy Bench” in the playground. This was dedicated in Neel’s memory by the parents and school. Students can go sit on this bench when they are feeling lonely or sad, and someone will come and sit with them. Neel was a wonderful buddy to many during his years at MFS.