policy and advocacy

Americans for the Arts and MetLife YouthARTS® Resource Initiative

Americans for the Arts MetLife YouthARTS® Resource Initiative was funded by a major grant from the MetLife Foundation, which also supported the development of the YouthARTS® Toolkit. In 2001 and 2002, the Initiative has awarded program development funds to twenty-three community-based organizations. Each organization was awarded $10,000 to be used for the development of arts-based programs to serve at-risk youth.

Americans for the Arts sought to broaden the impact, share information, and encourage the planning, implementation, and evaluation of arts programs for at-risk youth. As part of the MetLife YouthARTS® Resource Initiative, Americans for the Arts distributed YouthARTS® Toolkits and arts education resources to approximately 600 organizations through our national partners, which included:

• American Association of Youth Museums;
• YMCA of the USA;
• Boys and Girls Clubs of America;
• America's Promise; and
• National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts.

In July of 2003, the YouthARTS® Toolkit was made available online, where it contintues to serve as a valuable resource for those working nationwide with our youth.

For more information about starting your own youth programs, visit Americans for the  Arts YouthARTS® Toolkit Online. The Toolkit includes best practices and information about creating and runnning after-school arts programs.

The YouthARTS® Toolkit online was made possible by a grant from