Youth Arts New York serves to develop partnerships, collaboration and cooperation with like-minded organizations and schools. Acknowledging the interconnectedness of all things, we serve to link New York City youth to a number of well-established arts and environmental programs. Representing the passions and experience of our community, these partnerships will expand our offerings and further empower schools.

The Planetary Dance is an opportunity to bring students, alumni and families together to publically express their care for the world in an intergenerational community dance created by modern dance master Anna Halprin. The dance ends with music and a potluck feast. We see the dance as an annual June event on Roosevelt Island in partnership with the United Nations School, the UN Foundation and A Living Library/Life Frames Inc. See www.annahalprin.org.

The Power of Hope is a non-religious, not-for-profit organization in Washington state and British Columbia which offers multi-day programs in the summer and during the school year. Young adults who want to take an active role in creating a positive future, develop their leadership skills and build stronger communities are taught by a talented and diverse staff of artists, musicians, writers, actors, naturalists and community activists. The Power of Hope believes that young people—regardless of their circumstances—are an untapped resource for community renewal and social change. We are interested in bringing The Power of Hope to the Northeast. Our first step is to provide scholarships for New York City youth to attend summer programs and for educators in the Northeast to take Power of Hope training classes. See www.powerofhope.org

A Living Library transforms brownfields, urban sprawl, failing public parks and plazas, concrete and asphalt schoolyards and undeveloped wastelands into vibrant and relevant community learning environments and highly visible public magnets offering innovative and practical community and economic development. A Living Library develops themed, content-rich landscapes with integrated community programs, multidisciplinary project-based learning and state-of-the-art communications technologies. Each Branch Living Library is created with the local community in a site and culturally sensitive manner, incorporating regional resources—human, ecological, economic, historic, technological and aesthetic—past, present and future. A Living Library is linked to the curricula of the schools and animates all subjects through real-world experience. The goal of Youth Arts New York is to contribute to the Branch Living Library being developed on Roosevelt Island. Bonnie Sherk, founder and president of A Living Library is a member of the Board of Directors of Youth Arts New York. See www.alivinglibrary.org

The Work That Reconnects is a pioneering form of group work that began in the 1970s. It demonstrates our interconnectedness in the web of life and our authority to take action on its behalf. It has helped many thousands around the globe find insight, solidarity and courage to act despite rapidly worsening conditions. Based on systems theory, spiritual teachings and deep ecology, its methods are described in Coming Back to Life by Joanna Macy with Molly Young Brown. We would like to sponsor educator training and develop programs for high school students. See www.joannamacy.net

Indian Point Nuclear Guardianship Project is a citizen commitment to present and future generations to keep radioactive materials out of the biosphere. Recognizing the extreme damage these materials inflict on all life-forms and their genetic codes, Nuclear Guardianship requires:

• interim containment of radioactive materials in accessible, monitored storage, so that leaks can be repaired, and future technologies for reducing and containing their radioactivity can be applied;
• stringent limits on transport of radioactive materials to avoid contaminating new sites, and to minimize spills and accidents;
• cessation of the production of nuclear weapons and nuclear energy;
• transmission to future generations of the knowledge necessary for their self-protection and ongoing guardianship through time.

The Indian Point Nuclear Guardianship Project is a citizens' educational effort aimed at developing the political, technical and moral understandings required for the responsible care of the radioactive materials generated by the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant on the Hudson River, 40 miles north of New York City. This project is in its earliest stages of formation. For more information about guardianship, visit www.joannamacy.net

Hearthshire School has maintained a wilderness camp in the mountains of Mendocino, California since 1968. It provides opportunities for intergenerational groups of people to study local ecology and the geopolitical history of the land, to hold retreats and to learn wilderness survival skills. Robert Croonquist currently serves on the Board of Directors. Youth Arts intends to build a partnership with Hearthshire School. www.hearthshire.org