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The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, a nonprofit education organization, was founded in 1986 by the Monk family and the late Maria Fisher, an opera singer and lifelong devotee of music. Its mission is to offer the world's most promising young musicians college level training by internationally acclaimed jazz masters and to present public school-based jazz education programs for young people around the world. All of these programs are offered free of charge to the students and schools, filling a tremendous void in arts education. The Institute's programs encourage children to develop imaginative thinking, creativity, curiosity, a positive self-image, and a respect for their own and others' cultural heritage.

Jazz in the Classroom: Since 1989, the Institute has gone into public schools around the world, introducing millions of young people to jazz and its rich history. Jazz in the Classroom currently provides daily music instruction and instrument training sessions for public school students in under-served communities across the nation, along with master classes and assembly programs for tens of thousands of students in urban, rural, and remote areas of the country.

Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance: Begun in 1995, this intensive two-year, college level program enables a select group of the world's most gifted young musicians to study tuition-free with legendary jazz musicians and educators including Herbie Hancock, Clark Terry, Wayne Shorter, Dianne Reeves, Jimmy Heath, John Scofield, and Danilo Perez. This performance-based program has become the model college jazz education program for the world. In May 2011, an eighth eighth class of outstanding musicians graduated from the program at Loyola University New Orleans. The program will open in September 2012 at UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music in Los Angeles.

Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition: Established in 1987, this is the world's most prestigious jazz competition, recognized for discovering the next generation of jazz masters. The competition focuses on a different instrument each year and features an all-star judging panel. This high-profile annual event has launched the careers of Marcus Roberts, Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, Jacky Terrasson, Joey De Francesco, Jane Monheit, and Tierney Sutton, to name a few. Dozens of semifinalists have forged successful careers as jazz performers and educators. The winner is guaranteed a recording contract with Concord Music Group.

National Jazz Curriculum: In 2000, the Institute launched this innovative Internet-based jazz curriculum (www.jazzinamerica.org) designed to be taught in every 5th, 8th, and 11th grade public school American history and social studies classroom in the United States. The curriculum examines the evolution of jazz styles, contributions of important performers, and musical techniques involved in the creation and performance of jazz. The program's public school touring component has directly reached more than 200,000 students and teachers through assembly programs and master classes led by renowned jazz artists including Antonio Hart, Lisa Henry, T.S. Monk, Vanessa Rubin, and Bobby Watson. The curriculum already has reached millions of students.

The Blues and Jazz - Two American Classics: The Blues and Jazz (www.thebluesandjazz.org) traces the roots of the blues, its impact on jazz, and its importance to American history and culture. Lesson plans for American history and social studies students explain the connections between the blues and jazz from the blues' inception to today. Tens of thousands of public school students in Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Memphis, New Orleans, and across Mississippi have participated in assembly programs and master classes led by renowned blues and jazz musicians including Herbie Hancock, Alvin "Youngblood" Hart, Chris Thomas King, Keb' Mo', and Joe Louis Walker.

Performing Arts High Schools Jazz Program: The Institute brings renowned jazz musicians and educators into 11 public performing arts high schools to provide intensive jazz training. Through this performance-based program, gifted music students receive instruction in composition, theory, improvisation, history, and styles, preparing them to attend leading college, university, and conservatory music programs.

Commitment to New Orleans Initiative: The Institute made a major commitment to the City of New Orleans through its multi-year initiative, launched in 2007, to help revitalize the city through jazz. In addition to offering its Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance college program at Loyola University New Orleans, the Institute has implemented public school and community jazz education programs to help strengthen the school system, provide employment for New Orleans musicians, and unite the city's jazz and cultural communities.

BeBop to Hip-Hop: Begun in 2004 in the Los Angeles public schools, Bebop to Hip-Hop brings together jazz and hip-hop students under the direction of professional jazz musicians and hip-hop artists. Aspiring young musicians study improvisation, lyric writing, music theory, arranging, composition, turntable scratching, and sampling. They are introduced to the latest recording technologies and encouraged to create a new art form that demonstrates the genius of both musical genres.

International Programs: The Institute's college students and internationally acclaimed jazz artists have presented jazz performance and education programs in Argentina, Chile, China, Egypt, India, Japan, Peru, Thailand and Vietnam; seven African nations; eight Caribbean islands; and more than 10 European countries. Many of these tours have been sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Television Specials: The Institute has produced a series of television specials over the past 25 years to highlight the importance of jazz. In 1986, the Institute produced "Celebrating a Jazz Master: Thelonious Sphere Monk," a PBS tribute concert hosted by Bill Cosby. In 1993, the Institute coordinated "A White House Jazz Festival," the first "In Performance at The White House" PBS special taped with President and Mrs. Clinton. In 1996, the Institute produced "A Celebration of America's Music," the first network television special devoted to jazz in over 25 years, which aired on ABC. A second "A Celebration of America's Music" aired in 1998. In September 2006, President and Mrs. Bush hosted a concert celebrating the Institute's 20th anniversary that aired as an "In Performance at The White House" PBS special in April 2007 hosted by Barbara Walters. In addition, many of the Institute's international jazz competitions have been featured as documentaries on Black Entertainment Television and its affiliates.