Every Child Can! (ECC!) is an introduction to Dr. Suzuki’s philosophy and its application to Suzuki education. For parents, teachers, prospective teachers, and others, this course provides an inspiring, in-depth look at the Suzuki approach to teaching and learning.

In addition to exploring the elements of the Suzuki approach and its far-reaching goals, it includes an introduction to learning styles, history of the development of Suzuki education, the role of parents, the importance of Suzuki pedagogical training, and an overview of the SAA’s role in supporting teachers and parents. A fast-paced, engaging and inspiring program, ECC! includes video materials and SAA-developed courseware and provides each participant with useful reference materials (manuals) for later study. For teachers, ECC! serves as the first course in the Suzuki Association of the Americas’ Teacher Development Program.

If you’re interested in hosting an Every Child Can! course, and you are not an established course host, please contact info@suzukiassociation.org.

Basic Set-Up

Course Presentation

Every Child Can! is an 8-hour course. This course is offered over two (2) days.

Audience

The course is required for all new Suzuki teachers and open to all! Prospective teachers, parents, administrators, and all interested in learning about Suzuki approach to education are welcome to take the course. It is not instrument-specific. Experienced Suzuki teachers are also encouraged to participate for renewed inspiration or review!

Venues

ECC! can be offered at an institute, at a workshop, events, or offered as a free-standing course. It may be presented at any time during the year and can be sponsored by an institute, workshop, school, university, program, chapter affiliate, or by the SAA.

Course Facilitator

Only SAA-registered Teacher Trainers may teach the course. The Trainer must also have a current ECC! license in order to teach the course and use the ECC! trainer’s kit materials. All SAA-registered Teacher Trainers who wish to teach the course may be licensed to use the materials.

Class Size

The maximum number of participants for online ECC! courses is fifteen and a minimum of two.
The maximum number of participants for in-person ECC! courses is thirty and a minimum of two.

Qualifications to take ECC!

High school graduation completed and the age of 18 are required. There are no instrument proficiency requirements. (No audition is required.) There is no auditor status for this course.

Fees

Average fees for the course range from $95-125 USD. Fees will vary, depending upon the sponsor’s specific costs—trainer’s fees and expenses, A-V or venue rental, other overhead costs, anticipated enrollment, etc., less any subsidies available to the sponsoring organization/event. The SAA’s fee of $30 USD per participant for materials, participation and registration must be included.

Course Approval

Any organization sponsoring Every Child Can! during the September-May months must complete the ECC course sponsorship application linked above, and submit it to the SAA office at least six weeks before the course date. The SAA will post the course, when requested, on its website within two weeks of application approval. When information is available well in advance of the ECC! course date, the course information will also be listed in the American Suzuki Journal.

Exceptions

  1. Institutes are required to schedule the course in the fall using the ECC sponsorship application, along with their other application materials.
  2. Trainers offering the course in a private studio must apply to sponsor the course no less than 3 weeks in advance, whether online or in person.

Additional Details on Offering the Course

Sponsor/Host

The organization, school, program, workshop or institute offering the course is normally the “sponsor.” The agency providing space/venue for the course may be considered the “host.” A Trainer licensed to teach ECC may offer the course in his/her home program or studio; in such situations, the Trainer is considered the sponsor and the host. The SAA itself may also choose to sponsor the course.

Budgeting for the Course

In budgeting for the course, the sponsor should consider the following factors:

• SAA’s per participant fee of $30 USD
• Teacher Trainer’s fee (set individually by Trainers)
• Any travel/lodging/meal costs for Trainer (as arranged)
• Any room or A-V rental
• Publicity/mailing costs
• Any additional personnel costs
• Scholarship needs
• And other factors specific to the situation

While the SAA’s per participant fees cannot be discounted, the sponsor is welcome to offer discounts on the sponsor’s regular fee rate to parents or other non-teachers, teachers who have previously taken 1A and wish to review the material, and in other situations deemed appropriate.

Marketing the Course

The course sponsor must use the course name (Every Child Can! An Introduction to Suzuki Education) on promotional and registration materials. The Association’s name (Suzuki Association of the Americas) must also appear on such materials. The use of the copyrighted ECC logo is permissible and recommended on promotional and registration materials, and is available in electronic formats. Color postcards announcing the course are available for a minimal cost. (You fill in specifics of the course.) The purchase of postcards can be elected on the ECC sponsorship application form.

ECC Course Roster

This required roster must be submitted to the SAA by the sponsor after the course. The roster must be signed off by the Trainer, and the names must be initialed for participants who have completed all eight hours of the course. It is recommended that an assistant be designated to handle sign-in and keep roll to finalize and verify the course roster.

Obtaining Materials and Payment

For online courses, materials will be sent electronically directly to each participant. Send email addresses to info@suzukiassociation.org or be sure that participants’ emails are available when they register. It is appreciated to have the whole roster sent as soon as enrollment is closed. Anyone who would like to order hardcopies of the ECC! book should write to the SAA office at info@suzukiassociation.org.

For in-person courses, materials will be shipped to the sponsor and will receive a Materials Return Form, payable by 10 working days after the course. This payment deadline includes summer institutes that are offering ECC! and would be making a payment for the ECC! course separately from their institute payment. If the sponsor is affiliated with a college or university, please coordinate in advance with the accounting department so that the SAA payment deadline noted above can be met.

Course Wrap-Up

For online courses:

  • Within three business days after your course, sponsors should finalize the ECC course roster on the Partner’s site, listing all participants who attended and completed the class.
  • Within five business days, the SAA will send sponsors an invoice payable online or with a check.
  • Within ten business days after the course, send or scan a signed roster to the SAA to register the course, and if necessary, a printed invoice and check.

For in-person courses:

  • Within ten business days after the course, the SAA office must receive the following:
    • Final ECC course roster listing all participants who attended and completed the class.
    • Any memberships received
    • Invoice payment (online or check)
    • Any unused, unopened ECC participants’ manuals in perfect condition

Additional Notes on Teacher Participation

As with SAA book unit courses, no teacher should participate in overlapping courses or in more than one course simultaneously, nor should Teacher Workshop Participants be scheduled for more than six class hours per day. In the USA and Canada, participants who have completed ECC! may begin Unit 1 training. However, the ECC! Committee hopes that many trainees will take the ECC! course further in advance of Book 1, to allow for time to read the ECC Appendix material, thoughtfully consider the ideas presented in the course, complete the video audition process for Book 1, and enroll in Book 1 courses on time. Participants located in Latin America or taking training in Latin America must complete Filosofía.