Arts Impact Initiative (Aii)

The Arts Impact Initiative (Aii) provides substantial and sustained arts programs for students in public schools that have little or no arts education programming.  Through the generous support of corporations, foundations, local businesses, and individuals, this program launched in the fall of 2006 and has expanded since then to reach more students every year.

The Arts Impact Initiative Program:

  • Infuses sustained arts programming into elementary and middle schools to achieve a broad understanding of the arts and their potential to stimulate growth, learning, and change.
  • Offers professional learning opportunities for teachers and administrators to promote understanding of the arts as an important tool for learning and encourage inclusion of the arts in daily classroom activities.
  • Allows students to gain increased knowledge and skills within individual art forms.
  • Empowers students to cultivate an appreciation for the arts and to develop and nurture their own imaginations and creative abilities for success in life.
  • Increases awareness and appreciation of histories, cultures,  and points of view.

Arts Impact Initiative schools receive a full complement of YA programming, which can include:

  • Planning sessions by Young Audiences staff, teachers, and administrators to meet each school’s unique needs, goals, and curriculum.
  • Professional learning opportunities involving artists, teachers, and administrators that facilitate cross-content curriculum connections.
  • A series of performances for the whole school.
  • In-depth, multi-day, hands-on art-making workshops that can complement the school-wide performances and further supports core-curriculum activities.

Reaching More Eastern Pennsylvania Schools

  • 78% growth in the last three years
  • Aii provides 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-day arts residencies to Philadelphia schools
  • Awarded a William Penn Foundation Grant for Aii work in Philadelphia
  • Learn more – https://yanjep.org/philadelphia-and-eastern-pa/

Commitment to Trenton

  • Aii was initiated in Trenton in 2006 when drastic funding cuts eliminated the arts
  • Every elementary and middle school in Trenton is included in Aii, every year
  • Learn more – https://yanjep.org/trenton_aii/