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Programme de Piano pour les enfants défavorisés organisé par le Club Circle K de l'Université d'Ottawa

Le club Circle K de l'Université d'Ottawa, organisation communautaire rattachée au club Kiwanis de la ville, a decidé l'hiver dernier de soutenir un programme d'apprentissage du piano. Ce programme, nommé Heart of the City, a été lancé dans l'ouest canadien et permet à plus de 300 enfants défavorisés d'apprendre le piano. Les leçons sont assurées dans certaines écoles par des professeurs bénévoles.

Suite à ce resultat encourageant, il a été decidé d'étendre l'initiative à deux nouvelles écoles en septembre 2006. Nous sommes par conséquent à la recherche de bénévoles pour enseigner des rudiments de piano ou pour accomplir différentes tâches de gestion.

Si faire du bénévolat en enseignant un peu de piano, ou en contribuant à cette initiative par un travail de gestion vous tente, veuillez contacter Sarah and Christine par un courriel ottawaheartofthecity@yahoo.ca. Tout don de matériel musical est également bienvenu et peut être effectué en contactant la personne précedente.

Enfin si vous desirez de plus amples informations au sujet du club Circle K, vous pouvez formuler vos questions dans un courriel adressé à info@circlekclub.com . Site web Heart of the City Canada: www.HeartoftheCity.ca

Piano Program for Disadvantaged Kids - Brought to Ottawa by the U of O Circle K Club

The Heart of the City Piano Program, based in Western Canada, provides piano lessons to over 300 underprivileged students by bringing volunteer teachers into their schools. The U of O Kiwanis Circle K Club, a community service club sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Ottawa, started the first branch of the program outside Western Canada this past winter. To start the program off, Alfred Publishing and the Leading Note Music Store provided music books while Steve's Music on Rideau Street, Yamaha Music Canada, and a number of community members donated keyboards. Don Pinard Piano Moving kindly assisted with moving donated pianos.

The program's first semester was extremely successful and concluded with a recital at U of O's own Freiman Hall, sponsored by the University's Music Department and the University of Ottawa Community Service Learning Program. As a result of this success, the program will be expanding to at least two more elementary schools in September 2006. Due to the expansion, we are currently looking for volunteer teachers as well as volunteers to help with the program's administration. In addition, the program will be available as an option to music pedagogy students through the University of Ottawa Community Service Learning Program where students will be given the opportunity to complete part of their course mark as a volunteer placement.

Volunteers each commit to teaching three 20-minute private lessons, once a week, during the school day. The lesson times are very flexible and are chosen to fit the volunteer's availability. The program currently takes place at Connaught Public School, Queen Elizabeth Public School, Queen Mary Street Public School, École Sainte-Anne, Severn Avenue Public School, Vincent Massey Public School and York Street Public School. If you would like to become part of this initiative by helping with program administration or by becoming a volunteer teacher, please contact Sarah and Christine at ottawaheartofthecity@yahoo.ca . Donations of music supplies and equipment are also very much appreciated and can be arranged through the preceding email.

For more information about the University of Ottawa Circle K Club please contact info@circlekclub.com . National Heart of the City Piano Program Website: www.HeartoftheCity.ca

Some Photos from the Piano Program:

Sarah teaches Thu at her weekly lesson at York Street Public School.

Heart of the City volunteer teachers pose at the spring recital after a successful semester.

Nicole accompanies Shayna during her performance at the spring recital.