Our mission is to ally with high priority communities and empower marginalized children and youth by engaging them in hands-on, community- and school-based arts education programs that respect existing cultural and community activity, resulting in participatory action and social awareness.

AFCY believes that direct participation in the arts provides young people with numerous benefits. Through community and school based arts engagement, children and youth can self-express, develop skills, learn new ways of seeing and doing, and establish new connections with society and with the self. AFCY’s programs are grounded in excellence, skills development, hands-on arts-based learning, mentorship, self-expression, collaboration, inclusiveness and social awareness. AFCY fully recognizes the importance and involvement of young people as program supporters and designers, along with other key community and education partners.