PILOT PROJECT
The pilot project for The National Youth Orchestra Foundation began several years ago at the Atchison County Community Middle School, in Effingham, Kansas. String music programs, or other opportunities, for the youth of this rural area of northeast Kansas, to learn to play stringed musical instruments had never existed before. The privately funded “Effingham Youth String Music Program” was established, first as an after school learning opportunity, and later as a part of the regular school day, to provide fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students with the opportunity to learn string music in ensemble and orchestral settings. Since the very beginning, this program has been met with tremendous enthusiasm and acceptance from the local community, and has led to the enrichment of the cultural life of the area. Please see www.effinghamstrings.com for more information on the Effingham project.
