The Youth Arts Group (YAG) was founded by four teenage women in the 1990s. They were determined to create a program for young people in the Hudson Valley that helped use the arts to bring about change. With more than 100 alums, and a college matriculation rate among YAG graduates more than 95 percent, YAG has seen its leaders produce award-winning films, lead statewide symposia, and travel to Canada, South America and across the United States, sharing their story and training other young leaders.
YAG has watched its alums go on to be, among other things, directors of justice organizations, leaders in presidential campaigns, and serve in the Obama administration
“As members of YAG, we are committed to empowering ourselves and others, developing and practicing our leadership skills, while acting as allies to each other and those seeking social justice. Through engagement in creative action, we are dedicated to the task of inviting other youth to create political, economic and social change.”