Our Youth Programs
We connect San Francisco youth with professional artists through free after school programs, summer camps, and school residencies - building creative skills, confidence, and leadership at every age.
Free Afterschool Programs
Our programs for public high school students remain the foundation of our work. Youth collaborate with professional artists to build technical, creative, and leadership skills, using art as a tool for self-expression and civic engagement.
School Residencies
Our residencies bring arts programming to public, independent, and parochial schools across San Francisco, drawing on 20+ years of youth-centered arts learning to pair professional artists with high school students. Our faculty work in disciplines ranging from architecture, animation, and filmmaking to dance, fashion design, mural painting, and music production.
YAX Summer Camps
Every summer, YAX offers camps for 3rd - 5th graders, introducing younger students to the joy of creative exploration. Led by a diverse faculty of practicing Bay Area artists, camps give kids space to experiment, build foundational skills, and discover their creative voice alongside peers.
Youth Advisory Board
Our Youth Advisory Board (YAB) represents the top tier of youth leadership at our organization. Composed of high school students, many of whom are former participants, interns, and assistants - YAB members help shape, lead, and assess our programs, hire staff and faculty, write grants, and organize events. They offer the youth perspective in all that we do and speak on behalf of young artists across San Francisco.