The Royal Canadian College of Organists (RCCO) is working with Orgues Létourneau, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada, to deliver a unique educational program that will introduce the next generation of children to the pipe organ. Dubbed OrgelkidsCAN, the program gives children an opportunity to learn about, build, and play a miniature pipe organ. OrgelkidsCAN is the Canadian extension of the international Orgelkids program founded in 2009 by Dutch organist Lydia Vroegindeweij and will be the largest of its kind in the world.
The new initiative leverages the craftsmanship and innovation of Orgues Létourneau to produce the Orgelkids-CAN kits that will be paired with a curriculum guide offered by the RCCO as an enrichment activity that blends arts into the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) component of education. As students assemble the organ, they apply physics, mechanics, and sound theory while discovering the beauty and music of the pipe organ in a fun and meaningful way.
The OrgelkidsCAN instruments will introduce school children to the pipe organ in an accessible, hands-on manner. Beginning in September 2018, the OrgelkidsCAN program will be available to Canadian schools and community groups across the country for a nominal fee.
For information: www.rcco.ca and www.letourneauorgans.com.
Andrew Forrest of Orgues Létourneau and Elizabeth Shannon, executive director of the RCCO, stand in front of an OrgelkidsCAN prototype model
