Participating in the arts is about engaging the world. It is about cultivating and
supporting a democratic experience and a community that is accessible. Powerful
research shows that through sustained participation in the arts, young people develop
new competencies and actualize an individual voice. They experiment with ideas and
put them into action; create culture and cultivate new concepts about community,
democracy, and learning. 

The Center is about developing a new kind of case for the role of the arts in the lives of children and young people—their social, emotional, and intellectual development. Drawing
on a network of artists, practitioners, researchers, and policymakers, the Center explores
the power of the arts to engage and focus young people, leverage learning and social development, cultivate creativity, and build communities. We workto advance policy that supports the value of the arts in education and youth development through our research, essays, and publications.