All across the state, music, dance, and other fine arts programs are being eliminated at an alarming rate. As more and more funding is cut from the education budget, school officials find themselves making tough choices – and unfortunately these choices often result in the music
room being converted to a storage room, a stage that is never used, and talent that is never discovered.

Sigh. Time to knuckle under and just accept that this is how the system works, right? No way. Not if you're Elizabeth Doolittle.

In 2006, Elizabeth's two children founded the Shawn and Jessica Doolittle Children's Charity Fund, Inc., and the Journey into the Performing Arts program. Shawn and Jessica are still involved with their 501(c)(3) non-profit program, but they are both full-time college students now, so they are not as involved as they would like to be. That's when Liz started the Kids Helping Kids chapter of Hernando County, Florida.

Kids Helping Kids offers low-cost lessons in instrumental music, vocal music, and dance to children who would not otherwise have the opportunity to take private lessons. High school and college students earn volunteer hours by teaching music lessons to younger children. Currently, students at J.D. Floyd K-8 pay $15.00 for the entire school year (compare this to $100 per month at a private studio). Due to severe cutbacks in arts education, many low-income students would not have the opportunity to develop their talents in music and dance if not for Kids Helping Kids.

Liz's dream doesn't end there. She is also starting a chapter in Orange County, Florida. To do this, she has had to enlist the help of her husband, Pete Doolittle, to make extensive renovations to what used to be an old medical office suite and convert it to a classy music and dance studio. The Doolittles have had to dip into their own personal savings and retirement and have spent months commuting back and forth from Spring Hill and Orlando to make their dream a reality.

Even though Liz has support from the Orange County School Board and several schools in the area, and also has support from local Hernando County schools, funding is virtually non-existent. Even though the teachers are all volunteers, it still costs money to run the program. Music, instruments, dance shoes, the high cost of child care insurance, and other expenses add up very quickly. In order to avoid raising the cost of the participation fee, Kids Helping Kids is seeking donations to continue to help children enrich their lives and achieve their dreams.

Liz has faced numerous obstacles: dwindling grant opportunities for music programs, lack of support from certain high-profile people in the community, high costs associated with running a not-for-profit organization... but this hasn't stopped her. It has only made her more eager to jump over the hurdles and help make children's dreams come true.

People who detour from the usual day-to-day activities of life are often described as "marching to the beat of a different drummer." Elizabeth Doolittle marches to the beat of her heart.

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