Creative Youth Development
Creative Youth Development (CYD) “is a commitment to supporting young people’s stories, ideas, and dreams through creative expression and honoring their lived experience." Positive Youth Outcomes are central to the Creative Youth Development approach. Positive Youth Outcomes are the behaviors, skills, knowledge, perceptions, and values that reflect a healthy, successful young person.
There are three kinds of Positive Youth Outcomes: Achievement, Prevention, and Developmental Outcomes. The crux of the Creative Youth Development approach is that when programs focus on building developmental outcomes, they support youth in becoming healthier, happier, and more successful - and both achievement and prevention/problem-free outcomes follow as indicators and evidence of that success.
Mission-Driven Teaching Practices: A Toolkit
Written by Eryn Johnson and Laurie Jo Wallace of Health Resources in Action, in collaboration with YOLA staff, this Toolkit introduces music educators to foundational Creative Youth Development concepts, and provides a framework for programs to reflect on their values and practices using a youth development lens.
YOLA National Accelerator 2025
The 2025 program brought together artist leaders, music educators, and changemakers from across the country for two days of shared learning, reflection, and action. Held in partnership with the Academy for Impact through Music (AIM) Fire Up: The Field, the 2025 Accelerator centered on community, connection, and purpose—creating space for bold conversations, collaborative strategy, and visionary thinking around the future of music education.
