Youth Leadership Initiative

Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI) builds off of AAI’s Youth Arts Workshop (YAW), one of AAI’s longest running programs which fulfills the need for affordable, safe, constructive out of school time (OST) space for youth at risk. YLI is a direct response to the multitude of students that graduate from YAW who return as volunteers, mentoring younger youth and developing their sense of civic duty and belonging.

YLI aims to empower youth as individuals, artists, and members of their community. Our goal is to support teens with their life skills/relationships, academic achievement and engagement, and post-secondary readiness. YLI will serve high school students (grades 9-12) by providing a next-level program to connect art learning with community building tactics, project-based learning, civic engagement and career development skills.

Housed in our multi-tenanted arts facility at 1219 Vine Street, YLI will provide free year-round OST arts programming structured into fall and spring semesters during the academic year and a 4-week summer camp for youth.

Contact [email protected] to submit an inquiry form.