Need a French-themed fundraiser for language students hoping to travel to France next spring school vacation? How about pizza night at the Orange Peel bakery in Aquinnah?

If you think pizza isn’t particularly French, consider this: France is the second-biggest consumer of pizza in the world. (The U.S. comes first; Italy only a distant third.) Furthermore, a French chef currently holds the title for the world’s best pizza recipe, with a topping featuring fois gras.

And though Juli Vanderhoop — proprietor and chef of Orange Peel, and hostess of tonight’s fundraiser — is Wampanoag, the components of her outdoor oven are French. The massive Hansel-and-Gretel structure is clad in Aquinnah stone, but the interior is terre blanc tile, made from “the purest clay in the world,” she says.

Juli’s daughter Ella is one of 25 French scholars hoping to take part in a language immersion trip next April. Dubbing themselves Les Troubadours de Martha’s Vineyard, after the traveling lyric poets of 12th century France, the would-be travelers have come up with several fun ideas, the first being tonight’s Soirée Pizzaà laFrançaise. Others include a French movie evening at the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center on Nov. 21, a cooking contest, and a Mardi Gras celebration.

A trip like this one is an invaluable learning experience that increases students’ fluency, confidence and enthusiasm for the language they study, says Pierre Bonneau, who teaches French at the high school, but “We know that for a lot of families on the Island, it wouldn’t be affordable.”

The group hopes to raise at least half the cost, and that’s where the community enters the picture. That’s another reason Orange Peel is the perfect venue for the first fundraiser, because Juli Vanderhoop’s vision for her bakery is all about community: the shared pleasures of warmth, food and conviviality. One of the inspirations for Orange Peel, Juli recalls, was returning home to Aquinnah after a stint off-Island and realizing that she didn’t know her neighbors anymore. “It was scary,” she says, for a kid whose childhood had been steeped in community, tribe and neighborliness.

Since Juli built her oven, pizza nights at Orange Peel have become a community magnet and a must-do for Vineyarders from across the Island. Others, perhaps deterred by the summer mobs, have yet to discover this unique Vineyard experience. Tonight’s Soirée Pizzaà laFrançaise starts at 5 p.m. and goes until 8. Pizzas will feature French-themed toppings such as boeuf bourguignon, roast duck breast or champignons et chanterelles. Guests are also encouraged to bring their own French-themed topping inspirations, and Juli will combine them with her usual creative panache.

Tonight’s festivities will also feature French music, and anyone who wants to bring an instrument is welcome to do so. The suggested donation is $15, or $50 for the whole family. Bring your own wine. To get there, head up-Island on State Road to Aquinnah. A mile past the Chilmark/Aquinnah town line, look for the Orange Peel sign on the left (peel is the name for the long-handled wooden spatula bakers use to place dough in the oven). It’s an outdoor event, so dress warmly. (A beret, perhaps?) In case of rain, the party moves to the Aquinnah Shop.

Gazette contributor Geraldine Brooks lives in Vineyard Haven.