NAHYP Awards Officially Close After 19 Years of Honoring CYD

On December 31, 2017, the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program (NAHYP) Awards were officially closed. First launched in 1998 as the “Coming Up Taller Awards,” the NAHYP Awards have become known as the country’s highest honor for Creative Youth Development programs—i.e. out-of-school-time arts and humanities programs—helping to raise the visibility of the field and highlight best practices within CYD. Alongside the National Guild, Americans for the Arts, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards participated as one of the founders of the Creative Youth Development National Partnership. As as a signature program of the President's Commitee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH), the closure announcement follow's PCAH's resignation in August 2017 in protest of the current presidential administration's policies.

Over the past 19 years, the award has been presented to 256 outstanding programs in the United States and to 29 organizations internationally, along with a total of $2,850,000 in support. Additionally, 707 Finalists have received a Certificate of Excellence.

In a written note to the field, Traci Slater-Rigaud, former director of the NAHYP Awards, expressed her “deep gratitude to the teaching artists, educators, administrators, community stakeholders, parents, and youth, who, together, compose the fabric of the field.” She noted that their “critical work makes a tangible difference in the lives of young people, and the legacy of [their] success will reverberate for generations to come.”

In recent years, the NAHYP Awards have supported the work of Guild member organizations across the country, including: Destiny Arts Center (Oakland, CA); Alchemy, Inc. (Akron, OH); Spy Hop Productions (Salt Lake City, UT); New Ballet Ensemble & School (Memphis, TN); Project STEP (Boston, MA); DreamYard Project (Bronx, NY); Arts Corps (Seattle, WA); and many others.

You can learn more about the NAHYP Awards here.

Published: January 02, 2018