Orchestre à l’école

Contributing to the personal development of young people and their success through collective instrumental practice in schools

For more than fifteen years, Orchestre à l’École has demonstrated that participation in a school orchestra can be a powerful driver of academic success.

Founded in 2008 following the success of a pilot program in schools located in underserved communities, the organization quickly developed an innovative model based on a three-way partnership between local authorities, schools, and music schools. At the initiative of any one of these local partners, an orchestra is established within a class and accompanies each cohort of students for three years.

An orchestra is only launched once the music teachers committed to the project have been identified. Students then receive two hours of instrumental music instruction each week : one session in instrument-specific groups and one full-orchestra rehearsal. Through this sustained practice over three years, classes progressively develop the skills and confidence to perform for their school community and, ultimately, for wider audiences.

Since its creation, more than 198,000 young people have taken part in the program through 1,638 school orchestras established across 100 French departments. In 2025 alone, 44,037 students participated, including 57% in primary schools and 43% in middle schools. The organization operates in rural and urban areas alike, across mainland France as well as the French overseas territories.

Milk for Good supports both the creation of a new school orchestra and the