Young Audiences of New Jersey

What Young Audiences of New Jersey does

Young Audiences Arts for Learning NJ and Eastern PA (YANJEP), operating as Young Audiences of New Jersey, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts-in-education organization founded in 1973 and headquartered in Princeton, NJ with a regional office in Philadelphia. The organization connects K-12 schools across New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania with a vetted roster of professional teaching artists who deliver in-person assembly performances, workshops, multi-day residencies, and educator professional learning. Program fees range from approximately $630 to $2,900 per program, with assembly performances between $810 and $2,440 and workshops between $630 and $2,900 per day, plus travel and materials fees.

The core deliverable is the teaching artist itself, supported by curated program content including cultural education (Chinese Acrobatics, Latin Percussion, Afro-Puerto Rican Folkloric Music, Chinese Calligraphy, Lion Dance), media arts (Stop Motion and 2D Digital Animation on iPads), character education (anti-bullying storytelling), and specialized keynotes such as "Drum It Out!" Revenue combines program fees from schools with a substantial donation and grant base from foundations and corporate sponsors including Grunin Foundation, PNC, NJ State Council on the Arts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Princeton Area Community Foundation, Connelly Foundation, NJM Insurance, F.M. Kirby Foundation, and others. The organization is affiliated with the national Young Audiences Arts for Learning network and operates a parallel set of grant-funded initiatives (Arts Lab, Arts Impact Initiative, United We Create/Discover, Creative Beginnings) alongside the Arts United DEIA initiative.

Name

Young Audiences of New Jersey

Legal name

Young Audiences Arts for Learning NJ and Eastern PA

Website

https://yanj.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Young Audiences of New Jersey (YANJEP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1973 that connects K-12 schools across New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania with a vetted roster of professional teaching artists delivering in-person assembly performances, workshops, residencies, and educator professional learning, funded by program fees and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts-in-Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led) (EDAJAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

K–12 Instructional Design & Curriculum Development Services (EDAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Arts education programs
• School assembly performances
• Teaching artist residencies
• Arts integration workshops
• Educator professional learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Princeton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program fees: Schools pay for assembly performances, workshops, and residencies. Pricing varies by program type with assembly performances ranging from $810 to $2,440 and workshops from $630 to $2,900 per day.
2. Donations and grants: Tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by foundations, corporations, and individual donors including Grunin Foundation, PNC, NJ State Council on the Arts, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

YANJEP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts-in-education organization that brings professional teaching artists directly into K-12 schools across New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania to deliver Assembly Performances, multi-day Workshops & Residencies, and Professional Learning for educators. Programs span music, dance, theatre, visual arts, cultural traditions, media arts, and social-emotional learning themes, and are contracted by schools on a per-program basis with unit pricing by program type.

Product overview

Young Audiences Arts for Learning NJ and Eastern PA (YANJEP) operates as a nonprofit arts-in-education organization offering a portfolio of in-person programs including Assembly Performances, Workshops & Residencies, and Professional Learning for educators. The organization connects schools with a vetted roster of professional teaching artists spanning multiple art forms including music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and storytelling. Key programs include cultural education offerings like Chinese Acrobatics and Latin Percussion, media arts programs like Stop Motion Animation and 2D Digital Animation, character education programs like Anti-Bullying storytelling, and specialized initiatives like the Drum It Out! keynote program and Arts United DEIA effort. Programs are delivered on-site at schools throughout New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania, supported by resources like the Creative Classroom Toolkit. Founded in 1973 and affiliated with the national Young Audiences Arts for Learning network, the organization is led by President and CEO Michele Russo and has impacted over 15 million children in its 50-year history.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Assembly Performances Interactive, curriculum-based programs for whole schools featuring professional teaching artists performing in various art forms including music, dance, theatre, and cultural presentations. Schools book individual named assembly programs at unit pricing.
• Workshops & Residencies Intimate creative experiences with professional teaching artists, including multi-day residencies and hands-on workshops in visual arts, music, dance, digital media, and cultural disciplines, delivered at schools by individual workshop programs.
• Professional Learning Creative development programs for educators, including professional development workshops that train teachers in arts integration techniques. Designed for teachers, school counselors, and administrators seeking arts-based PD.
• Rhythm Play (Professional Learning) 90-minute professional learning session for educators delivered by teaching artist Josh Robinson, focusing on arts integration techniques with optional additional hourly content.
• Drum It Out! Exhilarating, unifying, and interactive keynote performance where artist Josh Robinson shares his personal story of navigating trauma and loss through drumming and music, suitable for all-staff professional learning days and school-wide keynotes.
• Stop Motion Animation Programs Media literacy and visual arts workshop where students build stop-motion animated films using provided iPad cameras and free software, developing skills in sculpting, filmmaking, and digital storytelling.
• 2D Digital Animation Studio Beginner's animation course teaching 2D animation principles using digital art programs such as Rough Animator and Procreate on iPads with Apple Pencils; multi-day workshop for schools with a 5-day minimum.
• Traditions of Chinese Acrobatics Theatre assembly performance featuring Li Liu performing mesmerizing acrobatics including hand balancing, plate spinning, artistic cycling, ribbon dancing, and foot juggling with student participation.
• A Journey Through Latin Percussion Music assembly celebrating Latin percussion traditions through Samba, Salsa, and collaborative ensemble exercises, exploring Caribbean and South American music culture.
• Afro-Puerto Rican Folkloric Music: La Bomba y La Plena Cultural performance and educational program led by Segunda Quimbamba performing and teaching Afro-Puerto Rican folkloric music La Bomba and La Plena, honoring heritage through call-and-response music and traditional dancing.
• Lion Dance Plus Chinese culture introduction featuring lion dance, kung fu demonstrations, and Red Ribbon Dance by Dance China New York, with authentic costumes, music, and historical information.
• Introducing Chinese Calligraphy Visual arts program introducing students to Chinese calligraphy as a traditional art form, where participants create calligraphy pieces on fans or scrolls with traditional Chinese patterns.
• Of Heroes and Villains: Comic Design Studio Comics studio teaching sequential storytelling through character design, visual narrative techniques, and compiling student work into anthologies; also available as professional learning for educators.
• Mad Dog & Me: Bullying and the Power of Kindness Storytelling program using world tales and personal stories to address bullying and adversity, teaching compassionate relationships and community building.
• Grant-Funded Programs (Arts Lab, Arts Impact Initiative, YA Eastern PA, United We Create, United We Discover, Creative Beginnings) Portfolio of grant-funded arts-in-education initiatives providing subsidized or fully funded programming to schools, including Arts Lab, Arts Impact Initiative (AIE), YA Eastern PA, United We Create, United We Discover, and Creative Beginnings.
• YA Artist Directory (Roster Service) Comprehensive directory of vetted professional teaching artists across various art forms available for school programs in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. Schools use the directory to identify artists and request programming for arts education offerings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 15 million children impacted in 50-year history
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• ArtPrideNJcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProud member of ArtPrideNJ; participates in action alerts, advocacy efforts, and shares stories with local press and community groups
• Young Audiences Arts for Learning National NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated with national network; shares best practices, resources, and maintains quality standards across the network
• Morris ArtsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in AIE (Arts Impact Initiative) program alongside Count Basie Center for the Arts
• Count Basie Center for the ArtsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in AIE (Arts Impact Initiative) program alongside Morris Arts
• Arts Ed NJmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerNJ arts education advocacy organization; shares action alerts and resources
• Americans For the ArtsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational arts advocacy organization; part of social media network
• Creative PennsylvaniamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPA arts advocacy organization for Eastern Pennsylvania region

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Americans for the Arts: National arts advocacy and service organization providing funding tools, research, and policy advocacy for arts education nonprofits. YANJEP participates in their advocacy network; relevant as a sector-shaping peer rather than direct competitor.
• Creative Pennsylvania: Eastern PA arts advocacy and service organization supporting arts education and creative-sector policy. Functions as a sector peer and advocacy partner for YANJEP's PA programming.
• Arts Ed NJ: New Jersey coalition advocating for arts education and providing professional development for arts educators. Overlaps with YANJEP on educator PD and advocacy in NJ but does not deliver teaching-artist programming directly.

Regional players

• Count Basie Center for the Arts: NJ arts organization and explicit strategic partner in YANJEP's Arts Impact Initiative. Comparable education programming and shared grant funding model for in-school arts experiences across New Jersey schools.
• The Kimmel Center (Philadelphia): Philadelphia-based performing arts venue running school-day programming, residencies, and educator workshops. Direct geographic overlap with YANJEP's Eastern PA territory and similar school-targeted arts education mission.

Broad incumbents

• Lincoln Center Education: Education arm of Lincoln Center delivering arts programming, professional development, and curriculum resources to NYC-area schools. Overlaps with YANJEP on PD and curriculum-aligned arts instruction but operates at much larger institutional scale.
• New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC): Major NJ-based performing arts center with robust arts-education programs for schools including residencies and professional development. Competes for the same school and educator relationships in the New Jersey market.

Direct peers

• Young Audiences of Houston: Another regional YA affiliate serving Texas schools with teaching-artist assemblies, workshops, and residencies. Closest operational analog as a sister regional chapter within the same national network.
• Education Through Music: Nonprofit that places teaching artists in partner schools to deliver music and arts instruction integrated with curriculum. Comparable nonprofit arts-education delivery model targeting underserved K-12 schools, though primarily New York-based.
• Young Audiences Arts for Learning (National): The national parent network of which YANJEP is an affiliate. Operates the same arts-in-education model across multiple states, sharing artist rosters, quality standards, and advocacy platforms—directly comparable mission and program structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/YANJEP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/young-audiences-of-new-jersey

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Young Audiences of New Jersey