(Left) AYCD Group 4 students presented at "One State: Together in the Arts," the fifth biennial conference for Illinois arts leaders and practitioners, Urbana, Il, 2007.
(Top) AYCD Group 6 students laugh about the no-longer- unexpected incidents of public transportation.
Photo credits: Nicole Garneau
Meet The Students
AYCD is one of the most competitive graduate programs at Columbia College Chicago. It attracts a diverse group of highly qualified students from around the globe who aspire to make a difference in the world through art. In fact, an average of 40% of AYCD graduate students move to Chicago from out of state or other countries, and about 60% are students of color.
This fall, AYCD admitted its sixth cohort of students. Since it began in 2003, AYCD has seen 25 students graduate from the program and go on to lead successful careers in the community arts. You can find out more about our talented AYCD alumni by visiting our alumni page, and see what the next generation of leaders in community-based youth arts are doing.