Community is at the heart of El Sistema. The orchestra serves as a microcosm of society, teaching children some of life’s most important lessons and skills: perseverance, leadership, consensus-building, critical thinking, creative exploration, respect for others and self. El Sistema Colorado leaders create a joyful, safe and intellectually-stimulating environment based on the following primary values:

• Every human being has the right to a life of dignity and contribution.
• Every child can learn to experience and express music and art deeply and receive its many benefits.
• Overcoming poverty and adversity is best done by first strengthening the spirit, creating, as Dr. Abreu puts it: “an affluence of the spirit.”
• Effective education is based on love, approval, joy and experience within a high-functioning, aspiring and nurturing environment.
• Community. Every child has limitless possibilities and the ability to strive for excellence. “Trust the young” informs every aspect of the work.
• Learning organizations never arrive but are always becoming – striving to include more students, greater musical excellence, better teaching. Flexibility, experimentation and risk-taking are inherent aspects of every program.