Arts education is who we are and what we do! Our mission is to inspire young people and expand their learning through the arts. We work toward a future in which all students in our region engage in high quality arts that are a basic part of their education. YA programs are delivered by teaching artists who offer a unique and valuable contribution to arts education experiences for students. Their ability to engage students in authentic creative activities is informed by their professional artist practice, cultural background and history, and are grounded in educational best practices.
Since our founding in 1973, YA has grown into the region’s largest arts education organization. We serve students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12, their teachers, and their families. Over the last 47 years our programs have served 13 million children. In 2018-2019, we delivered 4,301 programs in 690 schools, serving 362,675 students, and 16,429 teachers.