Beth Palmer

When Beth came to Edgewater in 1983 to be the organist of the historic three piece manual pipe organ at Epworth United Methodist Church, she had no idea she would be embarking on a lifelong project to nurture a literacy and music education program which would connect the children of her community to student volunteers from as far away as Glencoe and Wilmette. After starting a children’s choir, she realized her second and third graders could not read the lyrics of the songs.

Dismayed by their lack of reading skills, in 1985 she began a tutoring program in the basement of the church. As the children grew older, Inspired Youth grew to encompass children from first grade through high school serving about 100 children. It outgrew the church, expanding to Bezazian Library and Margate Park.

In 2000 another outreach project was added – a summer piano program which also outgrew Epworth, and is now located at Edgewater Presbyterian Church. In 2017, 55 children performed in two recitals during the Argyle Night Market. Beth’s enthusiasm and vision knows no bounds.

Beth Palmer

As Joseph Campbell said, ‘Follow your bliss and the
universe will open doors where there were only walls.’

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