Young Audiences of Virginia, is a statewide nonprofit organization founded in 1955.  From its humble beginnings in Norfolk with a single string ensemble and a handful of volunteers, Young Audiences of Virginia has grown to over 130 professional artists serving the entire state.  As the largest arts-in-education organization in Virginia, we supply educators with a powerful teaching tool at every level. 

Now in our 52nd year, we are actively pursuing our mission of "All the Arts for All the Children" in Virginia by providing around 3,000 hours of programming to over 300,000 children each year.  You will find us teaching and performing in schools, museums, community centers, parks, and libraries throughout the state.  Young Audiences creates performances, workshops, and residences that use the arts as a tool to teach core curriculum subjects.  We strive to keep the arts a basic part of education. All programs created in this unique partnership between educators and artists share six basic elements::

1. Tie directly to core curriculum and Virginia's Standards of Learning..
2. Use the arts as an innovative teaching tool.
3. Demonstrate the specified art form in a performance setting.
4. Cultivate both understanding of and interest in the art form.
5. Include creative interaction between the artist and the audience.
6. Provide age-appropriate experiences.

At Young Audiences we believe the arts can be the innovative tool you are looking for to reach the non-traditional learners in your class. The arts create that project which turns a group of children and educators into a community, breaks down cultural barriers, builds up relationships and teaches the whole child.

“We could save millions of dollars and time training our employees if the arts played a greater role in our schools. If the arts are not part of every child's learning experience, where in the world will our people develop the creativity and imagination they need on the job?”
—Richard Gurin, President and CEO, Binney & Smith, Inc.

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Standards of Learning
All YAV programs are aligned to Virginia's Standards of Learning.

Standards of Learning have been instituted by the Board of Education statewide to raise the expectations for all students in Virginia's public schools. Most schools within Virginia are realigning their curriculum to these state standards. Standards of Learning, or SOLs, affect core subject areas: Mathematics, Science, English, and History/Social Studies. Listing the SOLs that connect to each program under their descriptions, Young Audiences hopes to better establish the effectiveness of using the arts to teach all curriculum subjects.

For more information on the Standards of Learning, please visit the Virginia Department of Education website.