Unique and Empowering Programs for Teens

AIR integrates visual, performing, and literary arts with group mentoring by professional artists, cultural field trips, and community service.

Summer 2026 Program Guide

Middle School: Ages 10-14

AIR middle schoolers can get creative, try new types of art, and connect with a supportive, judgment-free community. Offered after school and during school vacations, this program is all about exploration, expression, and fun!

Middle School Programs

Highschool: Ages 14-18

AIR High Schoolers can expect a creative community where they can express themselves through visual, performing, and literary arts. Offered after school and during school vacations in February, April, and summer, this program provides a supportive space to explore, create, and connect.

High School Programs

Program Details

Thanks to generous community support, AIR offers all its programs free of charge—including supplies, transportation, and technology assistance. Sessions are held at local arts venues, cultural spaces, and businesses, helping teens build deeper connections within their community.

  • Led by professional teaching artists
  • Hands-on activities advance teens’ artistic skills
  • Focus on community-building, group mentoring, and collaboration
  • Cultural field trips and community service enhance community connections
  • Culminate in showcases of teens’ original art

Program Objectives

Encouraging teens to discover, create, grow, and thrive.

  • Learn about the arts and cultural expression
  • Increase literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills
  • Create strong relationships and conflict resolution skills
  • Develop strategies to reflect and set life goals
  • Identify local art resources and be inspire by local artists
  • Build strong protective factors to prevent risky behaviors
  • Volunteer and demonstrate the potential of youth

All Are Welcome

AIR programs are open to all youth ages 10–18 who feel that the AIR community is the right fit for them.

At AIR, we believe that creativity grows in spaces rooted in respect—for ourselves, for each other, and for the world around us. We honor and celebrate the unique identities, abilities, and lived experiences that each young person brings.

Our programs center equity over equality, recognizing that everyone’s path is different—and every voice matters.

We are committed to building a safe, inclusive community where all youth are valued and supported across lines of ability, culture, ethnicity, gender expression, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic background.

“You can’t use up creativity.
The more you use, the more you have.”

– Maya Angelou, Poet

FAQ’s

A: Arts In Reach (AIR) empowers all youth, regardless of identity, through the arts and mentorship. With year-round programs, AIR nurtures creativity, confidence, compassion, and communication in a supportive community.

A: AIR programs center teenage girls, trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive youth, and welcomes all teens ages 10-18 who feel like AIR is the right community for them.

A: Arts In Reach offers programs for teens and young adults ages 10–18, with workshops and experiences designed for different age groups.

A: We offer year-round opportunities in visual, performing, and literary arts, giving teens a chance to explore their creativity and discover their unique talents. Programs run after school and during school vacations. To join, fill out a registration form and check out our calendar on our homepage—or follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates on upcoming programs and workshops!

A: To join any of our programs or workshops, register online, download and mail a registration form, or ask your school counselor for a copy. A parent or guardian must sign the form, which only needs to be completed once per year unless your information changes. After registering and hearing from an AIR staff member, check our homepage calendar or follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates on upcoming programs and how to sign up!

A: Because of generous community-wide support, AIR is free of charge and provides transportation assistance to families in the Greater Seacoast area for whom transportation is a barrier.

A: If transportation is a barrier, we can often arrange a ride—always at no cost. For more details, call 603-433-4278 or email transportation@artsinreach.org.

A: AIR was founded in 1997 by University of New Hampshire art history graduates Kristin Forselius and Amanda Tappan as a summer day camp that focused on visual arts, performing and literary arts, and art history.