The National String Project Consortium (NSPC) recently released a study entitled "Status of String and Orchestra Programs in the U.S." at the ASTA convention. Here are some of the findings: The number of school districts offering string instruction has increased from 18 percent in 1997 to 29 percent in 2009. The estimated national shortage of string teachers in the years 2010-2013 will be 3,000. In the school year 2007-2008, 90 percent of string teaching positions were filled, but 18 percent of those positions were filled by teachers whose primary instrument was not stringed instrument.

The National String Project Consortium is trying to address the shortage of string teachers in the U.S. by offering String Projects hands-on training for prospective teachers during their college years hosted by universities across the country. Since 1999, the NSPC has received grantstotaling about $2.6 million from FIPSE, the NEA, as well as foundations such as Knight, Dana, Talty, NAMM, and Psaras.

For more information, please visit www.stringprojects.org