What Arts For Learning does

Arts for Learning Indiana, legally Young Audiences of Indiana, Inc., is a 501(c)-equivalent nonprofit arts education organization founded in 1961 in Indianapolis, IN. It delivers professional arts programming — hands-on workshops (up to 30 students), interactive performances (up to 300 students), and multi-visit residencies — to K-12 schools, early-childhood settings, community organizations, and libraries across Indiana, serving approximately 40,000 youth and 42,952 learning hours annually through a roster of 70+ professional Teaching Artists. The organization runs multiple branded program lines including the multi-year ABC Fellowship, ArtForce summer intensive for high schoolers (in partnership with Ivy Tech Community College), Wolf Trap early-childhood arts-based learning (as the Central Indiana Wolf Trap affiliate), third space and Fresh StART art-installation programs, and Arts & Literacy residencies, plus community programs Creative Roots and ARTables art kits. As the Indiana affiliate of both the national Young Audiences Arts for Learning network (30+ affiliates, 5M+ youth collectively) and the Wolf Trap Institute (one of 23 affiliates worldwide), AFL combines national methodological frameworks with local community-led delivery, including a 65-year partnership with Indianapolis Public Schools since its founding.

The business model is a non-commercial grant- and donation-funded nonprofit, not a fee-for-service operation. Programs are not directly sold to schools; instead, revenue is generated through individual donations (tiered at $25/$50/$100/$650), foundation grants (Lilly Endowment $999,500 in 2023, Early Learning Indiana $212,300 in 2024, Glick Philanthropies $50,000 in 2024, Indiana Arts Commission $15,653 in 2024), corporate sponsorships, planned giving, and gifts of stock. Teaching Artists are paid as independent contractors at an average rate of ~$60 per 45-minute program. The operating budget is approximately $1.5 million annually (per June 2024 Glick Philanthropies grant announcement). Go-to-market is community-led and partnership-driven: schools and community organizations initiate bookings through an online form, with the program team assisting in selection, and the organization maintains 89 active partner organizations.

In November 2025 the organization relocated its headquarters to the East 10th Street Emerging Arts District in Indianapolis, opening the organization's first-ever gallery for student and Teaching Artist work and consolidating its presence in an emerging cultural corridor near seven partner schools. Leadership transitioned in 2021 from JoEllen Florio Rossebo to current President & CEO Anya Aslanova, and a new multi-year Strategic Plan was launched in July 2025 built around five 'Rays of Impact': expanding access, uplifting artists, staying relevant, leading boldly, and building a strong, sustainable future.

Name

Arts For Learning

Legal name

Young Audiences of Indiana, Inc.

Website

https://artsforlearningindiana.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arts for Learning Indiana is a nonprofit founded in 1961 that delivers professional arts education programs — workshops, performances, residencies, and multi-year fellowships — to approximately 40,000 K-12 youth annually across Indiana through 70+ Teaching Artists and 89 partner schools and community organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Arts Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA)

Keywords

• Arts education programs
• Youth arts instruction
• Teaching artist residencies
• School arts integration
• Community arts partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual donations at various levels ($25, $50, $100, $650) that fund art supplies, teaching artist planning sessions, classroom workshops, and school performances. Monthly payment plans accepted.
2. Foundation and Government Grants: Major grants from Indiana Arts Commission ($15,653), Glick Philanthropies ($50,000), Lilly Endowment ($999,500), and other foundations to support operations and specific programs.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Program and special event sponsorship opportunities for companies, including sponsorship of the 65th Anniversary Open House presented by Glick Philanthropies.
4. Planned Giving: Bequests through wills and trusts, charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities, and retained life estates.
5. Gifts of Stock: Accepts gifts of stock through broker Toni L. Clark at Raymond James.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Arts for Learning Indiana delivers professional arts education programs for youth through workshops, performances, and multi-visit residencies led by 70+ Teaching Artists in partnership with K-12 schools, libraries, and community organizations across Indiana. Programs are curriculum-aligned and integrate social-emotional learning, with specialized initiatives spanning early childhood education (Wolf Trap), multi-year school partnerships (ABC Fellowship), high school college/career preparation (ArtForce), and community-driven art installations (third space, Fresh StART, Creative Roots).

Product overview

Arts for Learning Indiana is a nonprofit arts education organization offering a portfolio of programs including hands-on workshops, interactive performances, and in-depth residencies delivered by professional teaching artists. The organization runs several named initiatives: Artists Building Community (ABC) Fellowship provides multi-year school partnerships; ArtForce is a summer intensive visual arts program for high school students on Ivy Tech's campus; Wolf Trap focuses on early childhood arts-based learning; third space installs large-scale artwork in schools; Fresh StART creates community-inspired art installations; and Arts & Literacy integrates arts with language arts curriculum. The organization serves approximately 40,000 youth annually through partnerships with schools, libraries, and community organizations across Indiana.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ArtForce: A three-week summer program for high school students interested in exploring the arts as a college and/or career option, created in partnership with Ivy Tech Community College.
• ABC Fellowship (Artists Building Community)
• third space
• Wolf Trap
• Fresh StART
• Arts & Literacy
• Creative Roots
• ARTables

Products and services

• Hands-on Workshops 45-minute hands-on creative arts experiences led by professional teaching artists for classrooms of up to 30 students. Students connect an artform and content area through learning a dance, song, craft, visual expression, or cultural element. Designed for K-12 schools across Indiana.
• Interactive Performances 45-minute interactive assembly performances for up to 300 students led by professional teaching artists featuring professional dance, theater, storytelling, or music. Available in-person, livestream, or pre-recorded for K-12 schools and community audiences.
• In-Depth Residencies Sequential learning series of three or more visits where a teaching artist works with the same class in a focused setting. Curriculum-based residencies begin with a planning meeting and often close with a reflection meeting, designed for K-12 schools seeking deeper arts integration.
• Artists Building Community (ABC) Fellowship An 18-month to 3-year deep-dive inquiry-based fellowship pairing an AFL Teaching Artist, a lead teacher, and an AFL staff member to build partnerships in school communities through arts integration. Fellows develop 3-year Vision Plans and pilot programs tailored to school community assets, socio-cultural history, and student needs.
• ArtForce A three-week paid summer intensive visual arts program for current 9-11th grade students in or near Indianapolis, created in partnership with Ivy Tech Community College. Students experience studio time, explore art materials, and culminate in an exhibition on Ivy Tech's Indianapolis campus.
• Wolf Trap Early Learning Program Arts-based teaching strategy for early childhood education delivered as the Central Indiana Wolf Trap affiliate, using performing arts to engage children in active learning across curricula with embedded professional development for educators. Includes Wolf Trap Baby Artsplay program supported by Early Learning Indiana.
• third space Installation Program Transforms commonly used school areas through installation of large-scale works by established local artists, integrating art into physical space and curriculum to challenge students to discover and construct their own meaning.
• Fresh StART Enhances a school's sense of pride and strengthens connection to the surrounding community by improving an underused area with an art installation inspired by students.
• Arts & Literacy Residency Year-long residency using a school's reading and language arts curriculum as the basis for artist-led workshops, reinforcing grade-level specific reading and ELA standards through arts integration and increasing literacy growth.
• Creative Roots Free community program combining visual and performing arts to create immersive, multidisciplinary art experiences in Indianapolis parks, expanding to Krannert Park, Garfield Park, and Washington Park in 2026.
• ARTables Art Kits Free art kits delivered to students to take home during school breaks, extending arts education beyond the classroom and continuing engagement during out-of-school time.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13,270 students served with 42,952 learning hours and 236 teacher services across 89 partners
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Ivy Tech Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Co-creator and co-teacher of the ARTFORCE summer program. Provides the Fine Arts department facilities on the Indianapolis campus for the 3-week intensive visual arts program for high school students. Faculty members co-teach alongside Arts for Learning Teaching Artists.
• Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1961Longest-standing partnership since the organization's founding in 1961. IPS schools serve as primary delivery sites for programs, and IPS has been instrumental in developing initiatives like third space installations and the new move to East 10th Street Arts District.
• Young Audiences Arts for LearningflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts for Learning Indiana is an affiliate of the national Young Audiences Arts for Learning network, the nation's largest arts in education network. The network collectively impacts over 5 million young people each year. This affiliation provides access to national resources, best practices, and collective impact measurement.
• Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts for Learning Indiana is the Central Indiana Wolf Trap affiliate, one of 23 Wolf Trap Institute affiliates across the country and around the world. Wolf Trap Institute is a nationally recognized leader in early childhood arts-based learning that trains educators to use performing arts as a teaching strategy.
• Indianapolis Public LibraryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity partner that hires Arts for Learning Teaching Artists for youth services programming, expanding reach to library patrons across Indianapolis.
• Local Schools and Community Organizations (Indiana)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchools, libraries, parks, and other community organizations throughout Indiana serve as distribution partners for arts education programming. The organization partners with 89 organizations annually.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Young Audiences of Houston: Sister affiliate of the Young Audiences Arts for Learning national network, delivering teaching-artist residencies, workshops, and performances to K-12 schools in the Houston region with a comparable nonprofit, school-partnered model.
• Young Audiences of Oregon & SW Washington: Another Young Audiences network affiliate providing in-school arts residencies and performances through professional teaching artists; directly comparable structure, funding model, and program offerings.
• Settlement Music School: Long-standing Philadelphia nonprofit providing arts education (music, dance, visual arts) to youth through in-school and community programs; comparable mission, target population, and tuition/scholarship-funded model.
• Education Through Music: Nonprofit partnering with under-resourced schools to provide sustained, sequential music instruction integrated into the school day; closely comparable partnership-driven, arts-in-education model targeting underserved youth.

Broad incumbents

• Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts: National umbrella organization of which AFL is a Central Indiana affiliate; sets the early-childhood arts-based teaching methodology that AFL delivers locally and coordinates the broader affiliate network.
• Carnegie Hall Education Programs: Major cultural institution offering K-12 arts education programming, professional development for educators, and national network initiatives; broader and better-funded than AFL but overlapping mission and target audiences.
• Lincoln Center Education: National performing-arts education division delivering school partnerships, artist residencies, and curriculum development; comparable K-12 arts integration focus with substantially greater resources and national brand.
• VH1 Save The Music Foundation: National nonprofit funding music education in under-resourced schools through grants, instrument donations, and partnerships; adjacent K-12 arts-in-education mission with a foundation-funded distribution model.

Emerging players

• Midori & Friends: Nonprofit providing in-school music education programs to New York City public schools through partnerships with professional artists; similar school-partnered, teaching-artist model focused on youth access to the arts.

Others

• National Guild for Community Arts Education: Membership and advocacy organization serving community-based arts education providers including AFL; functions as a peer network, policy advocate, and professional development hub for the sector AFL operates in.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/artsforlearningindiana
• Xx.com/Arts4LearningIN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arts-for-learning-indiana

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arts For Learning