Founded in 2009, the Regional Youth Initiative (RYI) has focused on drug and alcohol prevention, creating a safe environment for young people during out of school hours to ignite their passions and find a sense of belonging in the community among their peers using healthy, positive outlets. The Aud, owned and operated by the RYI, has been home to the RYI’s programming for over seven years. Theater
has been the primary function of the Aud in recent years, home to over 16 shows, New Year’s Eve parties for Middle School students, and High School mentors for younger students. The Aud also features a full length basketball court, fully functional and licensed café, and brand new state-of-the-art recording studio for young people to utilize and find their passion, working toward harnessing their full potential in life. Throughout the past seven years, the RYI has helped over 3,000 young people in the communities of Northern Macomb County and beyond. In addition to the thousands of individuals that the RYI has been involved with, we have reached innumerable families and had subsequent affects on thousands more.
