SAY SÌ, San Antonio Youth YES!

Regina Roman in the Visual Arts studio.

Photo: Courtesy of SAY SÌ

For more than eight years young people at SAY Sí have been saying “yes” to many things, including staying in school, doing well in life, and developing their full potential, all made possible through pursuing their artistic talents.

SAY Sí is a year-round, tuition-free program that serves students from San Antonio’s urban middle and high schools. To be accepted, students must demonstrate artistic talent through a portfolio review, make a long-term commitment, and maintain at least a “C” average in school.

Students who join the program find a “home away from home” where they can study the fine arts in a studio setting under the guidance of both staff and visiting artists. Students also have access to professional media equipment and software in a media arts studio where they learn to design and edit publications, create digital videos, and design Web pages. Students also gain real-world entrepreneurial skills by designing logos, business cards, brochures, posters, and other products for nonprofit organizations and local businesses.

The program is structured to help students develop their own perspectives. “Kids are used to being told: ‘This is what you’re going to do and here’s how you are going to do it,’” observes Executive Director Jon Hinojosa. “But when they come here, we ask, ‘What do you want to do and how can we help you do it?’ This fosters a personal confidence that is a vital part of the artistic process and allows students to make positive choices that will affect the rest of their lives.”

High school students have immediate ways to invest in their community with their newfound skills. Through SAY Sí’s multidisciplinary arts program for middle school youth, they work one-on-one with younger children, helping them develop problem solving, teamwork, and communications skills. Students also facilitate art workshops for children at a local housing project and a battered women’s shelter.

As long as they continue to meet the requirements, students are eligible to stay in SAY Sí for years. When they do leave the program, many SAY “sí” to yet another opportunity—fully 90 percent of participants go on to college.