Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and Creative Generation are pleased to announce their collaboration to document knowledge from the Youth Arts Initiative and produce new tools and resources aimed at supporting the growth and development of creative youth development programs within Boys & Girls Clubs across the United States.
The Youth Arts Initiative at Boys & Girls Clubs of America is supported by the Wallace Foundation in a multi-year partnership to expand arts learning opportunities for children and teens. For several years, metro Clubs have been testing innovative high-quality arts programming by applying evidence-based success principles which include hiring professional practicing teaching artists, building high quality studio spaces and acquiring state of the art technology.
Throughout this collaboration, Creative Generation will produce new knowledge based on the work from the Youth Arts Initiative in the form of tools, resources, and virtual and in-person trainings to support Club staff and teaching artists in their endeavor to democratize artistic learning for youth across the United States. These tools and resources will focus on providing pathways for beginning, developing, and established arts-based programming in several domains
“The commitment of Boys & Girls Clubs of America to supporting the development and implementation of high-quality creative youth development opportunities for young people is notable,” said Jeff M. Poulin, managing director of Creative Generation. “The collaboration with BGCA to document the knowledge learned and produce resources will multiply the initial impact of the Youth Arts Initiative for generations of youth in communities across the country.”
Creative Generation was founded in April 2019 as a research initiative and has grown its work throughout the United States and around the world. Through pioneering research in the arts and cultural education field – and the relentless support of arts and cultural educators in their work to cultivate the creative capabilities of young people - the organization regularly supports youth development initiatives in their pursuit of the cultivation of creativity within the next generation.
“Partnering with Creative Generation on the development of new arts-specific resources will allow us to scale and sustain best practices learned during the Youth Arts Initiative,” said Lee Barry Shepard, Senior Director of Youth Development and Strategy Execution. “As a national organization, we are committed to ensuring that more youth have greater access to higher quality arts programming, and this project will help us achieve those goals.”
About Creative Generation
Contributing to the development of thriving communities and a more just world, Creative Generation works to inspire, connect, and amplify the work of young creatives who catalyze social transformation and those who are committed to cultivating their creative capabilities. Founded in 2019, Creative Generation operates four signature programs: The Campaign for a Creative Generation, the Institute for Creative Social Transformation, The Academy for Creative Leadership, and an Incubator for Creative Impact.
About the Boys & Girls Clubs of America
The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.