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OrKidstra launches new accessible and interactive website thanks to support from the community

14.05.2018 Press Releases

OrKidstra students smiling with instruments

Photo by Robert S. Vibert

OrKidstra is grateful to the City of Ottawa’s Capacity Building Funding Program (Cultural Funding Support Section), a generous gift from an anonymous donor and Baytek for their support for this project.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OTTAWA, Ont. – May 15, 2018 – OrKidstra is very pleased to announce the revitalization of its online presence with the launch of a new accessible, responsive and interactive website located at orkidstra.ca. The project was made possible by a grant from the City of Ottawa’s Capacity Building Funding Program (Cultural Funding Support Section), a generous gift from an anonymous donor and support from Ottawa-based web and branding company Baytek. This strengthened online presence will allow OrKidstra to build organizational capacity and sustainability with the goal of reaching and empowering more kids from under-served areas through the transformative power of music.

OrKidstra is an Ottawa-based, social development program that empowers kids from under-served communities by teaching life skills – such as teamwork, commitment, respect and pride in achievement – through the universal language of music. The OrKidstra Board of Directors initiated the website and identity revitalization in celebration of its 10th anniversary in 2017 and as part of its 15-year Strategic Plan vision.

Former Managing Director of CBC Ottawa and OrKidstra Vice-Chair Jane Anido is thrilled with the results of the project. “We wanted our online presence to be barrier-free – just like our program,” she said. “Our dream was to create an interactive, online space where our community could converse with us, where anyone could hear our music, apply for programs, donate and learn more about OrKidstra on any device including mobile. When you explore this new site, you will fall in love with OrKidstra’s remarkable children, their achievements and the beauty of their music. We celebrate those who have made this revitalization possible.”

Executive Director of Baytek Sébastien Belley is happy that the partnership with OrKidstra will have a positive impact on the lives of local kids. “When I met with OrKidstra last year to discuss the project, I immediately felt how important and heartfelt the cause of helping children from under-served areas was to OrKidstra and its supporters,” he said. “Being in the same neighbourhood as OrKidstra, Baytek also has a heart for helping children to become better adults: we recently joined a not-for-profit organization (Browning Reid Institute) to help children learn the importance of coding early in their lives. We are very proud of OrKidstra’s new website and feel that it represents the love and passion we all have for our children, their future and success! We’re looking forward to continuing our support for OrKidstra and its cause for years to come.”

OrKidstra’s revitalized online presence includes many up-to-date features that will help OrKidstra better serve the community:

  • Intuitive layout with easy access to most-requested information
  • Easy-to-use online application form for families applying for OrKidstra’s free after-school programs
  • Responsive design which will allow for easy viewing on any device (including mobile)
  • Complete accessibility compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level A and majority compliance with Level AA (as outlined by the Government of Ontario)
  • Easy access to information on the positive impacts of the OrKidstra program through stats and stories (photography for this website kindly provided in part by Robert S. Vibert)
  • Vibrant and relevant social media with a focus on connecting and building community
  • Increased visibility within the community which will help to grow relationships and sustainability

 

Thank you photo with the OrKidstra students from the Centretown Hub

City of Ottawa: The City of Ottawa’s Capacity Building Funding Program (Cultural Funding Support Section, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department) is designed to assist Ottawa’s local arts, festival and fair organizations to build organizational capacity and sustainability at key milestones in their development. The project-based funding is intended to increase support towards organizational effectiveness in areas such as fundraising, governance and management, marketing and promotions, creative, and overall organizational strategies.

Baytek: Baytek is an Ottawa-based dedicated team of highly qualified individuals who have been creating brands and websites for over 20 years. They are a service-oriented company with a penchant for quality and have a long list of clients in many industries including corporations, associations and governments.

OrKidstra: OrKidstra is a chartiable social development program for children aged 5 to 18 living in under-served areas of Ottawa. The organization’s mission is to empower kids and build community through music. Inspired by El Sistema, OrKidstra carries out its mission by providing children, from lower-income families in Ottawa, with free group and individual music lessons, free instruments and the chance to learn important life skills such as respect, compassion, teamwork and responsibility through playing and singing music together. With over 600 students from 42 cultural and linguistic backgrounds, OrKidstra has become a world-class example of why music is called the universal language. Charitable Reg. # 83246 7153 RR0001

-30-

Contact:

Rebecca Russell
Development & Communications Officer
development@orkidstra.ca

orkidstra.ca
613.859.3559

Follow @OrKidstra on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube!

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OrKidstra
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Funding for this website provided in part by an anonymous donor and by

City of Ottawa logo

Photography and videography provided in part by Fangliang Xu, Fei Wu, Greg Allison, Jith Paul, Landon Arbuckle, Robert S. Vibert, and Vectors Group.

OrKidstra – Sistema Ottawa
211 Bronson Avenue,

Studios 204 & 210
Ottawa, Ontario  K1R 6H5
613.859.3559
613.233.0166

OrKidstra is grateful to be located in Ottawa, Ontario, on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg people, the past, present, and future caretakers of this land.

© 2023. OrKidstra. All Rights Reserved. Charitable Organization # 83246 7153 RR0001 Any inquiries about copying, saving or using content on this site, including images and sound files, should be addressed to development@orkidstra.ca

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Families are welcome to submit applications for new students throughout the year. 

Choose your Ottawa neighbourhood:

  • Centretown/West Centretown Fields

  • Thank you for your interest in OrKidstra! We are now accepting registrations for our 2022-2023 season. We are accepting children aged 5-18 for the programs listed below.


    After-school programming for our Centretown Hub runs between 4 and 6:30 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays.

    Please tick the box beside the program that interests your child:

  • Vanier/Overbrook Fields

  • Thank you for your interest in OrKidstra! We are now accepting registrations for our 2022-2023 season. We are accepting children aged 5-18 for the programs listed below.


    After-school programming for our Vanier Hub runs between 4 and 6:30 PM on Monday and Wednesday.

    Please tick the box beside the program that interests your child:

  • Heron Gate

  • Thank you for your interest in OrKidstra! We are now accepting registrations for our 2022-2023 season. We are accepting children aged 5-18 for the programs listed below.


    After-school programming for students from the neighbourhood of Heron Gate runs between 4 and 6:30 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays.

    Please tick the box beside the program that interests your child:

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  • Income Fields

  • The OrKidstra program exists in order to inspire music-making in our children within a great community setting - and the goal of the OrKidstra is to make this program available to all families. The majority of our students participate free of charge.

    With this in mind, once we have reviewed your application, a fee may be requested based on your family’s financial situation. This will help cover the many costs, such as teachers, instruments and rent, ensuring that this community program will continue to be available to children who would not otherwise be able to participate. Our program will remain very affordable for all families.


    Household Financial Information (including income from abroad)*

    Please note that we may require proof of income - all information is strictly confidential

  • Total number of adults in household
  • Total number of children in household
  • Do you have any unusual financial challenges? If yes, please describe and tell us what the impact on your family is:
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    Does your child already play an instrument? If so, please list the instrument(s) and their previous musical experience here:
  • How did you hear about OrKidstra?
  • Confirmation Fields

  • Please note that admission is not guaranteed. As class sizes are limited, priority will go to children who live in the Ottawa neighbourhoods listed above, as well as families of lesser means. Any students not accepted will be put on a wait-list and may be offered a spot should any become available.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

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