While youth voice is important in arts-focused youth programming, many multipurpose out-of-school time (OST) organizations default to traditional crafts or adult‑designed projects. The result is limited opportunities for youth to make decisions, lead, or bring their full selves into their art.
And when those opportunities are missing, so are the powerful developmental outcomes that high-quality arts programs can deliver.
How can multipurpose OST organizations integrate youth voice and leadership into arts programming, in a way that deepens youths’ sense of identity, agency, connection, and mattering?
Research from The Youth Arts Initiative (YAI), funded by The Wallace Foundation and implemented by Boys & Girls Clubs of America, reveals that infusing youth voice and leadership into arts programs requires intentional design, organizational commitment, and a willingness to rethink long‑standing practices. This research codified key practices for high-quality arts programs into 10 Principles for High-Quality Arts Programs.
Research for Action and McClanahan Associates served as the research partners for YAI. Drawing from our learnings, we are publishing mini-briefs that explore each of the 10 Principles and offer actionable, practical strategies to implement youth arts programs in multipurpose OST settings.
In this mini-brief, we focus on Principle 7: Youth Voice and Leadership
Stay tuned for the next mini-brief in our series!