Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate
the transformative power of an arts-rich education.
If you were unable to join us, you can still support our mission with a donation. Help close the opportunity gap—together, we can engage students and improve outcomes. Funds provide essential support for Young Audiences’ work and support the thousands of teachers and artists who work in our underserved classrooms and communities. Your donation supports children often left behind in the traditional classroom environment. We thank you for your help in ensuring that the arts continue to enrich students’ lives and inspire them to believe in the life-changing power of their own education.
If you have any questions, please write to David Falk at DavidF@ya.org
Artistic Inspiration &
Empowerment Award
Trevor Noah
One of the most globally beloved comedians, Trevor Noah is perhaps best known as the host of the Emmy® Award–winning The Daily Show on Comedy Central from 2015 to 2022.
In 2018, Trevor launched The Trevor Noah Foundation to mobilize the global community and empower youth with the basis for a better life: access to high-quality education. His foundation honors the teachers who guided him and celebrates the greatest gift he ever received—the power of learning.
His first book, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood, was a #1 New York Times bestseller and won the 2017 Thurber Prize for American Humor. This October, One World/Penguin Random House will publish Trevor’s illustrated book for all ages, Into the Uncut Grass, a passion project about understanding and empathy, inspired by his youth in South Africa. Trevor currently hosts an original Spotify weekly podcast titled What Now? With Trevor Noah, and he can be seen performing live on his “Off the Record” World Tour.
Visionary Leadership &
Impact Award
Jason Flom
Before co-founding Lava Media and Lava for Good, Jason Flom served as Chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records, Virgin Records, and Capitol Music Group. He is responsible for launching the careers of numerous superstars, including Katy Perry, Matchbox Twenty, Tori Amos, Lorde, Paramore, Stone Temple Pilots, and Greta Van Fleet. For all of Jason’s accomplishments in the music industry, one could argue that his true superpower is that of a social justice advocate, criminal legal reform expert, and a powerful force for positive change. Through his decades of work on the boards of several leading justice reform and advocacy organizations, including as a founding board member of the Innocence Project, and through the Lava for Good Podcast network, Jason has given voice to the voiceless, highlighted systemic injustices, helped exonerate the wrongly convicted, and inspired lasting change.
Khaliah Ali
Daughter of global icon Muhammad Ali, Khaliah Ali has boldly carried forward her father’s legacy of community service and change-making. An accomplished author, speaker, activist, and humanitarian, she dedicates her efforts to critical issues such as education, child hunger, animal welfare, and environmental and legal injustice. Khaliah’s commitment to creating lasting impact is reflected in her roles on the boards of the Juvenile Law Center, the National Public Housing Museum, Street Soccer USA, and Help USA. Additionally, her work has inspired numerous initiatives that address societal inequities, reinforcing her role as a tireless advocate for positive change.
SPECIAL GUEST
Acclaimed author
Jacqueline Woodson
in Conversation with Trevor Noah
Jacqueline Woodson is an American writer of books for adults, children, and adolescents. She is best known for her National Book Award-Winning memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, and her Newbery Honor-winning titles After Tupac and D Foster, Feathers, and Show Way. Her picture books The Day You Begin and The Year We Learned to Fly were NY Times Bestsellers. After serving as the Young People’s Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2017, she was named the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress for 2018–19. She was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 2020. Later that same year, she was named a MacArthur Fellow.
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
Young Audiences Charter Schools
High School Jazz Combo
The Young Audiences Charter Schools (YACS) High School Jazz Combo, based in the vibrant Greater New Orleans area, is a talented group of student musicians who embody both technical excellence and cultural appreciation. Through their studies, the combo not only masters the intricacies of reading and performing music but also gains a deep understanding of its historical and cultural significance. Beyond musical proficiency, these students develop invaluable life skills such as teamwork, leadership, and discipline. Their performance at the 2024 Young Audiences Arts for Learning National Benefit Gala in NYC will showcase their hard work, dedication, and passion for the art of jazz.
CORPORATE SUPPORT
Since 1952, Young Audiences Arts for Learning has been able to realize its vision for the future thanks in part to the unwavering dedication of the business community. Today, corporate support helps Young Audiences fulfill its mission by enabling us to continue to expand our programs to reach more young minds, inspire more teachers to integrate music and all arts into their curriculum, and ultimately, brighten the future of our communities.
We thank our corporate friends for their sponsorship support of our 2024 National Benefit Gala
For more than 70 years, Young Audiences Arts for Learning has engaged countless millions of students through learning experiences that foster creativity, self-expression, and cultural understanding, raise student achievement in other subject areas, and help develop 21st-century skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving.
Founded in 1952, Young Audiences is the nation’s largest arts-in-education provider, reaching more than 5 million students and families in rural, suburban, and urban communities in 26 states.
When Young Audiences teaching artists step into classrooms, they open doors to joy, creativity, and discovery. Here, students connect to curricular content through visual and digital art, music, media arts, theater, and dance. Through the arts, educators and school districts ignite a passion for learning and unlock the greatness within each child.
The Young Audiences Arts for Learning affiliate network draws upon the talent of more than 2,000 teaching artists from all artistic disciplines, the dedication of 50,000+ teachers, and the leadership of hundreds of board volunteers and passionate staff members.
On behalf of the entire Young Audiences Arts for Learning family, we thank you for your generous support.
If you have any questions, please contact
David Falk at davidf@ya.org
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