At the core of our mission is a deep commitment to music education and community engagement. Each year, we bring live music to thousands of young people through thoughtfully designed programs that inspire creativity and enhance learning. As arts education faces growing challenges in schools, we work to ensure that students have access to meaningful musical experiences—opening artistic doors while building strong educational foundations.

Our signature education program, the annual wcfsymphony Youth Concerts, introduces 4,000 fourth through sixth graders to the magic of live symphonic music—often for the very first time. Through our Ensembles in the Schools program and 25 annual school visits by our Artistic Director, we help educators enrich their students’ exploration of the fine arts. In Waterloo, we are proud to partner with Becker Elementary as our Partner-in-Education school.

Beyond school-based performances for young audiences, our Music Lab Series has been bringing free Saturday morning concerts to children and their families for over three decades. Both Ensembles in the Schools (EIS) and Music Lab are made possible through generous grants and sponsorships from Black Hawk Gaming Association, Carol E. Morgan, Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, Martha Kroese, The Max & Helen Guernsey Charitable Foundation, The McElroy Trust, Steve & Terri Jackson Family Fund, Waterloo Community Foundation, Waterloo School Foundation, and an anonymous individual donor.