National Partnership Progress Report
Creative Youth Development National Partnership to Receive $50,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts..
In 2019, the CYD National Partnership’s Field Building Action Team conducted interviews across the nation to understand the growth of peer learning networks—focused fully or in part on CYD—that are emerging across the country. The results were compiled in a brief, Local Peer Learning Networks – Strengthening and Advancing Creative Youth Development Practice, written for the CYD National Partnership by Ellen Hirzy.
Young artists and activists from RYSE Youth Center (Richmond, CA) and youth leaders from Re:Frame Youth Arts Center (Phoenix, AZ) held a series of conversations to discuss how they define Creative Youth Development values, what CYD looks like in practice, and their expectations of adult partners in CYD spaces. A series of graphics emerged from these conversations to help guide adult practitioners and spark larger conversations about What is Creative Youth Development?
In 2019, the CYD National Partnership’s Funding Action Team conducted research that resulted in an analysis of current and potential CYD funders, the experience and attitudes of those funders through a developed Skill/Will Map, and a deep-dive set of case stories illuminating partnerships between funders and CYD programs. Written by Jeff Poulin of Creative Generation, these papers summarize the current understanding of funding for Creative Youth Development.
CYD partners have developed the “Create, Connect, Catalyze” framework to weave together perspectives from young peoples’ reflections on their experiences in creative learning environments alongside perspectives from academic research on creative learning environments.
The National Youth Network (NYN) is a space for young artists ages 13-24 from all across the United States to come together regularly to artistically explore different art forms, challenges, and opportunities to thrive together.
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. More.
The National Guild for Community Arts Education was been approved for a $50,000 Arts Works grant to support the Creative Youth Development National Partnership. This project will support the continued implementation of the National Action Blueprint for Creative Youth Development, a collective impact project. In 2020, key activities of the partnership will include providing joint professional development for three regional networks, online learning opportunities, dissemination of news from the field, and a National Young Artists Summit for teens. More.
The 2nd Annual National Youth Arts Summit, entirely designed and led by young people, was held in Austin TX. It provided opportunities for youth leaders, ages 13-20, from a range of artistic disciplines, to connect, create, and celebrate together. Themes for the 2019 Summit Included: Using arts and culture as a frame to approach social issues Having discussions about advocacy and politics in the arts Highlighting local perspectives that can also be applied to other communities Representing diverse perspectives and populations Growing collaborative practices with others Being accessible to all ways people cognitively and physically move through space Challenging conventional thinking, and offer different points of view Confronting barriers that do not allow young artists to be their full self Read the event program (PDF)
As part of Americans for the Arts’ work on their Creative Youth Development Toolkit, they commissioned field experts to produce a set of seven landscape analyses about key topics within youth development. These papers identify trends in creative youth development, share recommendations for CYD practitioners, and suggest areas for future exploration.
The Partnership—originally comprised of the National Guild for Community Arts Education, Mass Cultural Council, the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, and Americans for the Arts—expands to include all three Blueprint Action Team members. This expansion ensures the voices of practitioners, researchers, and cross-sector partners are part of increasing equitable access to Creative Youth Development. Meet the Partners.
A collaboration between Creative Youth Development National Partnership and the Grantmakers for Education Arts Education Impact Group. Each session spotlights a different written briefs authored by field experts with Americans for the Arts as part of the first phase of a creative youth development toolkit for the field. All webinars are hosted by the National Guild for Community Arts Education and made possible by generous support from the Clare Rose Foundation. More.
Music Learning as Youth Development, a new book published in June of 2019, highlights the role of community based Creative Youth Development organizations as catalysts and trailblazers for bringing youth development practices into all areas of music learning.
The Clare Rose Foundation, in partnership with the CYD National Partnership, was proud to host the first BOOST creative youth development workshop strand in Palm Springs, CA on May 1-3, 2019. Pursuing the goal of bringing the impact of CYD work to a broader national audience, the BOOST Conference is an opportunity to engage with over 2,500 out-of-school time providers, administrators, and professionals.
The Winter 2019 issue of the TAG Quarterly was all about Creative Youth Development. The free online publication from the Teaching Artists Guild is full of resources, research, and news from CYD leaders and practitioners across the country.
Read the event program (PDF)
Three national Action Teams were formed to implement Blueprint recommendations in the strategic priority areas of: VISIBILITY & IMPACT: Documenting and Communicating Outcomes and Impact FUNDING: Building Pathways to Funding FIELD BUILDING: Professional Development, Networking & Technical Assistance with support from the CYD National Coordinator.
The Education Commission on the States released their report which explores the design and impact of CYD programs.
Americans for the Arts hosted a CYD Preconference at their 2018 Annual Convention in Denver, CO.
The CYD National Partnership welcomes Ashley Hare as CYD National Coordinator.