Youth in Arts

Youth in Arts offers Artists in Schools for TK-12 students, with 8-30 week sessions that include in-class experiences with professional artists in music, dance, and visual arts. It also offers Arts Unite Us, a program with adapted arts lessons for students with disabilities and differentiated learning styles, including residencies in Special Day Classrooms. Other offerings include Intensive Arts Mentorships (I AM) for teens, `Til Dawn A Cappella for teens, and Youth in Arts' Accessible Summer Camp for ages 8-12, a week-long visual arts camp for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities that runs July 27-31 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and costs $375 per week.

Programs

• Artists in Schools — TK-12 students · 8-30 week sessions · Curated in-class experiences with professional artists across music, dance, and visual arts.
• Arts Unite Us — Tailored and integrated arts programs for students with disabilities and differentiated learning styles; includes residencies in Special Day Classrooms.
• Intensive Arts Mentorships (I AM) — teens · Paid visual arts mentorship program for emerging teen artists to conceptualize, design, and install public art.
• `Til Dawn A Cappella — teens · Award-winning teen a cappella ensemble and advanced vocal music program.
• Youth in Arts' Accessible Summer Camp — 8-12 · July 27-31; 9:00 am-12:00 pm · $375 per week · Week-long visual arts camp for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

At a glance

• Ages: 8–18 years old
• Price range: $375 per week
• General schedule: Provides arts education to TK-12 students; mentors teens; offers community arts partnerships, curriculum expertise, professional development, and arts advocacy.

About the provider

Youth in Arts was founded in 1970 and has served over a million students. It became an affiliate of VSA arts in 1981 and is the only consistent provider of arts for special education students in Marin. The organization states that it builds visual and performing arts skills through programs that foster confidence, compassion and resilience in students of all abilities, and its community work includes arts education advocacy, community arts partnerships, and the founding of the Italian Street Painting Festival in San Rafael in 1994.

Values include inclusion, celebrating young people as artists, empowering youth through music, dance, visual arts, theater and new media, and an artist mentorship approach. Arts Unite Us adapts lessons for diverse abilities and behavioral needs and helps students meet IEP goals.

Last updated September 16, 2026.