We have three core beliefs:
1) Youth need a way to learn about God when they are not in church in order to reinforce Christian principles in their everyday lives.
2) Youth need to experience arts and culture in order to become more well-rounded thinkers and leaders who respect and appreciate diversity.
3) Youth, especially minority and disadvantaged youth in Dayton, do not have the needed support
to obtain 1 and 2. Based on those three core beliefs, we created C.Y.A.N., which provides its youth members and one parent/guardian FREE access to arts and cultural events (The Nutcracker, Native American drum making, poetry workshops, cultural festivals, etc.). The events are used as a way to help teach/reinforce Christian principles. C.Y.A.N., as well as parents/guardians, who es**rt C.Y.A.N.'s youth to different events, commits to having a 5-10 minute discussion after every event in order to tie some aspect of that event back to Christianity. Not only are we teaching the youth to be stronger Christians, but we are helping them become stronger leaders and academics by giving them access to experiences that will broaden their perspectives.
*While C.Y.A.N.'s primary focus is on Christian youth, C.Y.A.N. is open to all youth.
