Yakima Academy of the Arts
712 E. Spruce St.YakimaWA98901
509-457-1060509-457-8301

Program: Yakima Academy of the Arts Year Started: 1989 Focus: Multidisciplinary Arts Youth Served: 350 Ages: 1-21 Budget: $20,000 The Yakima Academy of the Arts provides minority youth with a welcoming space in which creativity is fostered and the fear of failure is removed. Classes in folk and tap dance, visual arts, voice and music meet 4 days a week for 1 1/2 hours. Children become aware of the creative abilities they possess and develop employment skills. Participants spend another 3 1/2 hours at the Yakima Public Housing Authority community center, joining a variety of drop-in activities that include use of the center's library of classic films. "The program touches the lives of young people in many ways," says Program Director Maud Scott. "It provides more than just arts education. In many cases, it gives youth the opportunity to see and experience things they otherwise would not come in contact with. The program provides a safety net for its participants." Scott reports that the staff is very committed to maintaining the program, even when there is no funding. The participants are committed as well; some of them have reached the point where they have become teachers in the program.