Youth Arts
Collective
Future-Focused, Student-Led.
Alabama, Amplified.
Youth Arts Collective (YAC) is a Amp Up Arts’ statewide youth arts advocacy leadership group. Annually, a cohort of Alabama students are selected to come together to speak up, show up, and shape the future of arts education.
Why It Matters
Too many Alabama students don’t have access to music, visual art, dance, or theatre. This isn’t just an education gap, it’s an equity gap. The Youth Arts Collective exists to change that by making sure students have a voice in shaping the future of arts education. Find out to advocate for more arts education here.
How YAC Works
YAC brings together a small cohort of student leaders from across Alabama who work together at both the local and statewide level.
Students meet virtually as a statewide group and also collaborate through regional connections and focus areas based on their interests, such as advocacy, storytelling, and community engagement. This structure ensures that student voices from across the state help guide statewide arts advocacy efforts.
View the student handbook here.
Student Leadership & Support
YAC is built on a student leadership model. Members can step into roles that guide advocacy efforts, storytelling, and regional representation, all while being supported by adult mentors with experience in arts education and community advocacy.
Students lead the work, mentors help guide the process.
Built Across Alabama
YAC is intentionally designed to represent students from every part of the state. Members are connected through five regional hubs aligned with Amp Up Arts’ collaborative sites:
- North Alabama: Huntsville
- West Alabama: Tuscaloosa
- Central Alabama: Montgomery
- Southeast Alabama: Troy
- Southwest Alabama: Mobile
This regional structure ensures that local experiences, challenges, and ideas inform statewide advocacy, not just voices from one area.
Interested in Joining?
Are you a rising 9th -12th grader in Alabama that loves the arts? The Youth Arts Collective recruits a new cohort of students each year. Applications open annually, with students selected to represent regions across Alabama.
Applications for the 2027-2028 school year will open in Spring 2027.
- We Lead with Our Voice
- We Stand Up for the Arts
- Everyone Deserves a Chance
- We Grow as Leaders
- We Build Community
- Our Creativity is Powerful
As part of YAC, students:
- Use their voice and creativity to advocate for the arts in their schools and across Alabama.
- Create projects that make a real difference for the arts where they live and learn.
- Team up with others to advocate for big, statewide wins for the arts.
- Step into roles that keep this movement going and help guide the work.
- Show why the arts matter through events, stories, and actions people can see.
- Connect with student leaders, artists, and allies who share their passion, and work together to make the arts stronger across Alabama.
- Represent the Youth Arts Collective in their schools and communities so people know you are leading the way in arts education.
Members of YAC don’t just talk about change. They build the skills to make it happen. Benefits include:
- Earn verified service hours for graduation, scholarships, and college applications while making a difference.
- Build their resume with real-world advocacy, leadership, and teamwork experience.
- Step up, take charge, and make their voice heard on arts education in Alabama.
- Meet mentors, artists, and student advocates across the state who share their passion.
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