A great big enthusiastic YES! But don’t take our word for it. Here are some reputable studies and resources that highlight the improved academic, emotional, economic and developmental outcomes that correlate with art-based learning experiences.

National Endowment for the Arts: The Arts and Achievement in At Risk Youth

YouthREX:Art-Based Youth Programming To Support Mental Health and Well being

Americans for the Arts: Arts Impact Explorer Fact Sheet

Each donor-funded experience includes:

• a relationship-centered artist session

• story-sharing and personal reflection

• trauma-informed support to both artist and sitter

• a custom portrait created with care and intention

• a reveal moment that celebrates the child’s identity

• opportunities for community exhibition and storytelling

When you give, you are not simply funding artwork—you are helping create a milestone moment of confidence, pride, and visibility.

For the purposes of this initiative, “at-risk youth” will be defined using the framework of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), a term first developed and adopted by the Center for Disease Control in 1998 after researchers began to explore the correlation between negative experiences during childhood and physical and mental health problems in later life (Muller & Kennedy 2024). ACEs can be understood as any potentially traumatic events that occur before the age of 18 such as, housing instability, poverty, incarceration of a parent, witnessing or experiencing abuse and caregiver substance abuse. A higher number of ACE’s for any individual significantly increases the risk of developing severe health problems in adulthood including heart disease, substance abuse, cancer, diabetes, depression and suicide attempts.

Additionally, any young person facing adverse circumstances such as (but not limited to) housing or food insecurity, chronic medical issues, living in foster care are also considered for this program.

The evolution of ACEs: From coping behaviors to epigenetics as explanatory frameworks for the biology of adverse childhood experiences.

Risk factors do not simply disappear when a young person turns 18. In fact, the transition into adulthood often coincides with a significant reduction in available community support services, which can intensify existing vulnerabilities for some young adults. In recognition of this reality, this initiative extends the definition of at-risk youth to include individuals up to age 22.

Additionally, children under the age of 10 are excluded from this project due to developmental factors, including a limited attention span and varying levels of emotional maturity. Younger children may also face greater challenges with behavioral regulation, which could require support services that this initiative is not equipped to safely provide.

In order for this initiative to be successful and sustainable we have to start small and local and Vermont is where we live :)

We work hard to build connection and trust between artist and sitter from the start so that the process will feel empowering and collaborative for everyone. We also talk transparently with the young person and the artist to discuss what might come up during this process in order to prepare both for the possibility of feeling emotional or overwhelmed at times and to have a plan for if that happens so that the young person feels safe at all times.