Detroit Partnership for Arts Education Officially Launches to Elevate the Importance of Youth Arts

Detroit city, schools, healthcare, corporate, arts and community leaders unite to create first-ever cross-sector collaborative to promote youth arts access for all

DETROIT, July 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Detroit Partnership for Arts Education (DPAE), catalyzed and coordinated by the collective impact initiative Detroit Excellence in Youth Arts (DEYA), officially launched today. DPAE is a cross-sector collaborative supporting arts education access for all Detroit youth, emphasizing its benefit and application across a wide array of industry sectors. 

Supported by the Detroit Mayor's Office and the Superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD), DPAE brings together a powerful coalition of leaders in healthcare, youth services, philanthropy, workforce development, education, community development and the arts. 

Founding members include healthcare pioneers Robert Riney, CEO, Henry Ford Health and Dr. Herman Gray, former CEO of Detroit Medical Center and United Way for Southeastern Michigan; foundation stewards Angelique Power, President and CEO of the Skillman Foundation and Andrew Stein, President and CEO, The Children's Foundation; arts visionaries Jessica Care Moore, Detroit's Poet Laureate and Mike Banks, Detroit Techno pioneer, along with many others from Detroit's civic, corporate, and cultural communities. 

"Detroit is building an innovative model that demonstrates what can happen when healthcare, schools, and grassroots organizations join forces to support our young people in arts education," said Bob Riney, CEO of Henry Ford Health. "Arts education enriches individual lives, but it cannot thrive as an isolated silo. From community health, economic development, educational outcomes, and more, arts education impacts every facet of our community. So many industry sectors benefit when a child has access to the arts."   

Launch Highlights

The public launch of DPAE marks the release of three major initiatives developed through this collaboration: The Detroit Youth Arts Navigator, A Vision for Arts Education in Detroit report, and the Detroit Arts and Education Data Project. Both the Vision and Data Project were funded by The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and The Kresge Foundation. 

Detroit Youth Arts Navigator

Developed with Digital Detroit Media and Data Driven Detroit (D3), the Navigator centralizes Detroit's arts education offerings for the first time ever. The free and comprehensive online hub at deyayoutharts.com helps families, students, and educators discover and access youth arts programs citywide. 

The searchable map-based platform allows users to explore programs by discipline, age, cost, accessibility and more. More than 45 community youth arts programs and data from over 100 schools are featured, including DPSCD and charter schools. 

"The arts are the best way we find our voice. We learn that our ideas are our currency, we practice critical thinking, and we learn to connect deeply with others and ourselves," said Angelique Power, President and CEO of the Skillman Foundation. "We want every Detroit youth to have access to all of this and to shape their own artistic journey. It's how we ensure Detroit remains a creative and entrepreneurial hub for generations to come." 

A Vision for Arts Education in Detroit

A new report titled "Detroit Partnership for Arts Education: A Vision for Arts Education in Detroit," funded by the NEA with matching funds from The Kresge Foundation, lays out a unified citywide vision for equitable access to arts education through shared metrics and cross-sector collaboration. It is one of the final deliverables of an NEA "Collective Impact" grant secured for Detroit by Connect Detroit for its program partner, DEYA. Connect Detroit is a nonprofit organization addressing local problems in Detroit by facilitating and mobilizing support of collaborative community solutions.

The grant award was terminated in May 2025 but not before the DPAE's convening and data collection were completed. Historically, the NEA Collective Impact grants have been awarded for multiple years to support the development of citywide arts education efforts in such cities as Chicago, Boston and Houston. With potential changes to the federal agency, future NEA funding for Detroit's arts education collective impact efforts is currently in jeopardy.  

"Detroit is well-known for its artistic and cultural contributions to the world," said Dr. Herman Gray, former CEO, Detroit Medical Center and United Way for Southeastern Michigan. "This report raises a vital question: If every Detroit child were intentionally exposed to arts education early on, how much stronger could our community be? As a pediatrician and child advocate, I believe one of the best things we can do is ensure every child, no matter their ZIP code, receives an excellent education that includes the arts."

Detroit Arts Education Data Project

The Detroit Arts Education Data Project, also funded by the NEA with support from The Kresge Foundation, and led by DEYA and D3, provides a comprehensive look at where and how Detroit youth engage with the arts.

This multi-source research project collected and analyzed data from more than 105 public schools, state databases, and community organizations to understand the current state of youth arts access in Detroit. The findings provide a baseline for advocacy, investment, and planning toward equitable arts access.

"This is more than just data. It represents a movement rooted in collaboration, imagination, and a shared commitment to ensuring every Detroit child has access to the transformative power of the arts," said Nafeesah Symonette, Executive Director of DEYA, a collective impact initiative that serves as a catalyst for cross-sector collaboration to ensure all youth have access to Detroit's rich cultural legacy and transformative power of the arts. "Our process united voices across the city. Now, with the Navigator and this vision, we take our first steps from vision to action."

"The arts are a powerful driver for a well-rounded education, and we have prioritized access to art and music in the same way we think about math and reading," said Dr. Nikolai Vitti, DPSCD Superintendent and DPAE Honorary Co-Chair. "We have made tremendous strides but know there is still room for growth. We cannot stop until every young person in Detroit, one of the world's great cultural powerhouses, has access to quality arts education. Cross-sector partnerships like DPAE are essential to realizing that vision."

To access the Detroit Youth Arts Navigator and read the full report and data project, visit deyayoutharts.com. To learn more about Connect Detroit, visit connectdetroit.org.

SOURCE Detroit Partnership for Arts Education