Youth

Goal 2: Youth

STRATEGY 2.1: Expand Extracurricular Opportunity and Connections

Increase opportunities, communications, and access for Garland youth of all backgrounds to robust creative activities and programs outside of school.

ACTION ITEM

Communication About Extracurriculars: Convene GISD, City, and creative nonprofit leaders to identify ways to increase outreach to students and their teachers about extracurricular creative volunteer and participation opportunities, and to identify barriers to participation. Specifically explore ways to expand the use fo social media to reach youth abut cultural arts opportunities.

Reduce Barriers to Youth Participation: Reduce barriers to participation for low-income youth. For example, a youth performing arts scholarship, or a modest funding program for transportation for low-income youth to get to extracurricular programs.

Permission Wall: Identify a location for a permission wall for youth to have a place for sanctioned expression

Identify Gaps: Create GCAC Education Workgroup to coordinate with local school districts, higher education institutions, private schools, and others to collect available data and identify where there are gaps with extracurricular and summer cultural arts programs for youth and potential partners to fill those gaps. Examine both annual and seasonal opportunities to account for the school calendar. LEAD AND PARTNERS

PRCAD, GISD, arts nonprofits, Garland Youth Council

GCAC, GISD, PRCAD

PRCAD, GISD

GCAC, GISD, other education institutions, arts nonprofits

Youth-Centered Programming: Support and expand programming at City owned faciltiies that appeal to the tastes and preferences of Millennial and Gen Z young people, to grow Garland's reputation as a place for young upand-comers. This could include programming and highlighting new mediums, from LARPing, to comics, to tattoo art. Performing arts staff, special events, GCAC, other public, nonprofit, and community partners

Center Student Voices: Collaborate with GISD to find ways to center the voices of students themselves in identifying needs and gaps. Include the points of view of both students who do and do not currently participate in cultural arts extracurriculars. GCAC, GISD, arts nonprofits, Garland Youth Council

STRATEGY 2.2: Maintain and Expand GISD Collaborations

Support and expand the collaborative relationship between the City of Garland, GISD, and other key partners in order to clearly communicate and develop creative opportunities for youth in and out of schools.

ACTION ITEM

GISD/PRCAD Liaison: Identify a “go-to” role at PRCAD to act as a hub for promoting and coordinating creative activities between the City and GISD and to assist in communication between local creative nonprofits and GISD.

GISD Communications: Help creative nonprofits coordinate with GISD to communicate about activities and opportunities through the "Peach Jar" messaging system. Provide more information about extracurricular activities to elementary parents, similar to how they receive information about extracurricular sports.

Big Art Day: Incorporate many of the activities in 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 into the expansion of the annual Big Art Day celebration, as appropriate. LEAD AND PARTNERS

PRCAD, GCAC

GCAC, PRCAD, GISD, creative nonprofits

PRCAD, GISD, GCAC, other relevant departments

STRATEGY 2.3: Help Youth Access Career Development and Skill Building

Work in partnership to provide professional skill building offerings and opportunities through and around the arts.

ACTION ITEM

Youth Arts Leadership Program: Create a project-based Youth Arts Leadership Program to assist in developing civic-oriented creative opportunities for youth. Elements could include mentorship, learning about civic processes, public art projects, and career development. Partners could include the City, GISD, and the Chamber’s Youth Leadership Garland program.

Careers in the Arts Event: Develop an annual “Careers in the Arts” event to help students connect with arts professionals and learn about creative careers and professional skills.

Career and Tech Center: Coordinate with GISD Career and Tech Center about potential for classes for career-oriented classes and programs for youth creatives.

Mentorship Programs: Increase the pipeline for new artists by supporting a mentorship program between GISD high schools, colleges and universities, and local/regional artists. Emphasize 21st century creative workforce skill such as self-branding and promotion in professional development programs. LEAD AND PARTNERS

PRCAD (various divisions), Neighborhood Vitality, GISD, Chamber of Commerce, arts nonprofits, and more

GISD, PRCAD (various divisions), Chamber of Commerce

GCAC, GISD arts, GISD Career and Tech Center

GCAC, GISD, other education institutions, arts nonprofits