Young Audiences of Virginia, Inc
To inspire and engage students IN and THROUGH the arts!
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Inequity among students across the Commonwealth of Virginia of disparate access to arts-infused learning and the participatory experiences that stimulate the mind, ignite curiosity and critical thinking, promote cultural awareness and expand understanding of academic and vocational potential.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Curriculum Plus
Our signature program, Curriculum Plus, provides high quality artistic performances for students in pre-K through 12th grade with the goal of inspiring and engaging the critical and creative thinking skills needed for academic and social success. Arts for Learning's arts-integrated curriculum reinforces what students learn in their regular classroom and exposes students to a wide variety of artistic mediums. Educational performances by our artists are aligned with Virginia’s Standards of Learning and presented in a variety of formats: in-person, livestreamed, and on-demand. In addition to programs taking place in school settings, our artists perform at public libraries, community centers, and festivals throughout Virginia. Curriculum Plus programs focus not only on the acquisition of academic skills, but also on the development and reinforcement of key character traits needed to succeed in school and life, such as resilience, perseverance, teamwork, kindness, courage, and respect.
Arts Adventures
In partnership with Families of Autistic Children in Tidewater (FACT), this inclusive residency teaches dance, music, and visual arts to middle and high school students with autism. The program is designed for students to join with their peers and learn new skills in a supportive environment.
Testimonial: “My son is 13 years old, and I can’t tell you how many events, classes, camps. Workshops, schools, and more that we have signed up for that have backfired on us. Last night he attended the arts dance/movement program. When we came to pick him up, I was preparing myself for what has become the norm for us. Some type of issue—either from him or the program… This is what my son told me as soon as we were in the car: ‘I liked it. It was fun. Honestly, I went in expecting the worst, but I ended up getting the best.’ I can’t tell you what those simple words meant to me. Well, yes, I can. It meant the world!” Kara Rothman-Reighard, mother of Jesse
Arts + Learning Snacks
These bilingual art activity kits feature original curriculum that include the supplies students need to complete a hands-on visual arts project at home or in classroom settings. Our newest kit, Tessellations, was created to help third-graders prepare for standardized testing, providing them a screen-free, hands-on way to reinforce key math concepts such as measuring area and perimeter.
Our mini-comic "learning snack" guides students in how to write and draw their own comic adventures as they invent characters, plots, and settings. Our Zen of 'Za snack was custom designed for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder but is also suitable for younger elementary students. Project activities include students stretching in yoga-like poses to “make a pizza” and constructing a decorative “pizza” out of the art materials supplied.
All kits include instructions in English and Spanish for ESL learners.
Strings Impact
This after-school residency teaches the violin to elementary students in under-served schools. The program has run for many years at Title 1 schools in Portsmouth and may be expanded to high-need schools in another school division in the coming school year. During the residency, students learn the basics of how to play the violin, with no need to purchase or rent an instrument, and with no cost to them or their families. At the end of the residency, students play a special violin concert for families and friends.
Virtual Arts Experiences
Our artists have recorded select programs in our Norfolk production studio, which we have professionally edited and made available as videos. Each is accompanied by grade-specific curriculum guides. Educators “check out” videos for a limited period of time, accessing them directly via the Arts for Learning website for smooth integration into classroom lessons. One video, the African American Heritage Trail, was used in the fifth-grade curriculum for Norfolk Public Schools during the 2021/2022 school year. Storyteller Sheila Arnold shares the struggles and triumphs of the real-life African Americans who made history in the Lower Norfolk area (now part of Chesapeake) in a program that spans from the 1500s to the early 1900s.
Where we work
Awards
ArtStars Award 2021
Dominion Energy
Affiliations & memberships
Young Audiences, Inc. 1955
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsHours of expertise provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Now in its 68th year, Young Audiences of Virginia, doing business as Arts for Learning, is an independent chapter of Young Audiences, the nation’s leading arts-in-education nonprofit organization.
Total number of performances
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In light of the Covid-19 challenges in 2020, Arts for Learning launched new virtual services to reach students.
Total number of classes offered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In light of the Covid-19 challenges in 2020, Arts for Learning launched new virtual services to reach students.
Total number of audience members
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Adults
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Provide students and educators across the Commonwealth of Virginia an opportunity through interactive performances, workshops, and residencies given by professional artists to learn in and through the arts.
Play a vital role in shaping today’s children into future leaders and thinkers by contributing to essential components of a quality education
Offer professional development to educators to demonstrate how they can incorporate arts-infused teaching methods into core curriculum lessons.
Ensure disadvantaged students, whether due to socio-economics, family situation or physical /mental challenges, have greater access to the life-changing power of the arts.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Develop partnerships with schools, community venues, and other cultural organizations to bring artists directly to the students both during and after school hours.
Engage professional artists of every performing, visual or literary art discipline and develop with them interactive high-quality curriculum based upon academic or character development needs expressed by educators.
Identify sources of funding to address the gap between what schools or community venues can afford and what an artist needs to earn.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Experienced staff with a track record of successful development and delivery of innovative programming.
Assessment of artistic quality and program impact.
Engaged board of directors with a diverse set of experience to assist staff with making contacts with partners and funders.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Southeastern Virginia has the biggest concentration of service hours and largest number of students, families and educators reached. Plan is in motion to achieve a broader geographic impact and identify new sources of funding.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys, Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Young Audiences of Virginia, Inc
Board of directorsas of 07/19/2022
Ms. Beth Hazelette
Retired music educator
Term: 2021 - 2023
Minette Cooper
Arts Advocate, Arts in Education Volunteer
Kate Houston Roth
VP Acctg & Financial Reporting, TowneBank
Dr. Stephen C. Jones
Retired Superintendent, Norfolk Public Schools
Melissa Roomsburg
Asst. Vice President, PRA Group
Dr. Michael Geller
Retired MD/Broader Focus LLC
Judy Thaler
Retired Real Estate, Arts Advocate
Rakeisha "Rae" Pearson-Benn
Media and Coordinations Coordinator, City of Virginia Beach
Linda Dennis
Retired Music Educator, Professional Musician
Carlton P. Hardy
Arts Advocate, Retired Army Training Specialist
Judy Gutterman
Retired Counselor, Arts Advocate
Erica Mitchell
Director of Contest Strategoy, EOS Surfaces
Jean Shackelford
Retired Music Administrator, Arts Advocate
Dr. Vanessa Thaxton-Ward
Director, Hampton University Museum
Philip (Phil) P. Smith, Jr.
Senior VP, TowneBank, Chesapeake
La-Neka Brown
Title 1 Specialist, Community-Arts-Education Advocate
Charles Spence
Retired Norton Capital Management
David Snouffer
Willcox & Savage attorney
Becky Livas
Arts Advocate, singer, retired educator
Malcolm Terrell
Financial Professional, First Financial Group
Jennifer Peters
Cantorial Soloist, Temple Israel
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 12/09/2019GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.