Networks in Austin, TX; Becker County, MN; and Detroit, MI have been chosen, through a national proposal process, to participate in the CYD National Partnership’s CYD Local Networks Project. This project is designed to support the development of youth-centered, local CYD networks that align with the core values of CYD – youth voice, racial equity, and collective action. Networks will receive 11 months of professional development and technical assistance, led by CYD National Coordinator Ashley Hare, and will share back resources and lessons learned with the broader field. Support is designed to help networks develop and/or deepen engagement and action planning and to connect with CYD networks across the country to learn and share practices.
As stated in the CYD National Action Blueprint (2018): “An effective way for practitioners and other CYD stakeholders to support and learn from each other is through the development of local or regional peer learning networks [. . . ]Core to this strategy is the engagement of youth and community-based organizations, as well as funders, researchers, partners in allied youth sectors (i.e., youth development, workforce development, juvenile justice) and others that share a collective vision of advancing the role of creativity in positive youth development.”
Rural Becker County, Minnesota’s 4-H Extension program and county public health department are building their emerging CYD network by bringing together Creative Youth Development practitioners and youth leaders to share and build creative arts opportunities that support the health and wellness of young people in Becker County.
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Detroit, Michigan’s Creative Youth Development Coalition was formed in 2017 as a space for CYD adult practitioners from various organizations to build collective activities reinforcing CYD values. As part of this 2020 Peer Learning Network cohort, they hope to gain insights on how to expand their network to include youth leadership.
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Austin, Texas network is building upon the energy of young artists at Creative Action and other local CYD organizations who supported the Creative Youth Development’s National Young Artists Summit as the 2019 host site. This emerging youth-led network hopes to break silos across Austin and build a truly collaborative network with youth and adults. This project, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, is part of the CYD Partnership’s effort to sustain the implementation of Blueprint strategies. The purpose is to develop and deepen connections among local CYD peer learning networks (emerging and sustaining), working in tandem towards CYD National Action Blueprint goals to build the field, support program quality, and raise the visibility of CYD among potential supporters. This strategy is informed by the Partnership’s current work to map the CYD network landscape and highlight effective practices, and by the demonstrated success of parallel regional network investment efforts.
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