Detroit Excellence in Youth Arts (DEYA) co-founders Rick Sperling and Nafeesah Symonette have been named to the National Advisory Board for the Arts Education Partnership in Washington, D.C.
DEYA, an initiative of Connect Detroit, provides a platform to develop new resources to support youth arts in Detroit. Since its inception in 2020, DEYA has used more than $250,000 of new funds, including funding for the Launch Awards, paid directly to young artists, teaching artists, arts educators and 28 youth arts providers.
In 2023, DEYA convened the Detroit Youth Arts Provider Network (DYAP), which includes 44 programs and organizations of all shapes and sizes that provide arts opportunities for Detroit youth.
The Arts Education Partnership (AEP) is a national network of more than 200 organizations dedicated to advancing arts education. AEP has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Department of Education since 1995.
“Representation on the Arts Education Partnership’s National Advisory Board is a pivotal opportunity to amplify our work in Detroit on a national platform,” says Sperling. “It also enables us to share our insights and learnings, contributing to a national dialogue that values and seeks to expand access to the arts for all young people. DEYA has always been focused on harnessing the collective power of arts education to transform lives and communities.”
AEP’s Advisory Council helps inform and guide the outreach and work of AEP. DEYA joins 32 other organizations in this advisory capacity, including DC Public Schools, National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Department of Education, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
“This new role offers us an incredible platform to advocate for the arts as essential to education, sharing the successes and challenges we’ve encountered in Detroit on a national scale,” says Symonette. “Our inclusion in the AEP advisory council is not just an honor, but it’s a responsibility we take seriously, as we strive to influence policies and practices that support the arts as a vital component of a well-rounded education for every child.”
