While every individual youth is different, with their own individual needs—the general answer to this is yes.

At ILYouth2 we recognize that too often, intentional space is not made for youth with varying access and sensory needs, and/or anxieties about being in a new place, with new people, trying new things. Our staff has over a decade of experience working with neurodivergent youth, and a commitment to making arts programming accessible and joyful!

We just ask that all youth who participate in ILYouth2 programming are able to be safe, follow directions and studio agreements, and not disrupt the experiences of other youth. We have had youth with higher support needs attend with a Direct Support Professional (DSP).

When you register a youth for programming at ILYouth2, there is a space on the form for you to let us know anything you'd like to about your kid (what freaks them out, what comforts them, things we can expect, whatever).

You can find information about accessibility in our space here, and you are always welcome to touch base with our director at daelyn@ily2online.com (they're neurodivergent too!)

At the beginning of any structured programming (workshops, camps, etc) we go around and share our name, pronouns, and a response to a fun check-in question. We do this every day, even in multi-day programs! Youth may respond to this inquiry however they’d like, but they will be asked.

Doing this is a reflection of our values of respect and youth autonomy. At its most basic, we all need to know how to talk to and about one another in the studio! This is not something people can guess or intuit, we need to learn it from that individual!

Checking in about names and pronouns (each day, rather than just at the initial introduction) also acknowledges that what we want to be called may change over time, or even day-to-day, and allows that to feel natural and not be made into a big deal.

Our suggested age ranges, indicated with an “~” (eg: ~7-11), are intended to give families an idea of what age group the program was designed for (with things like attention span and developmental skills in mind), but they are not strict.

We do request that youth below the suggested age range are able to follow directions and engage fully with the activities, so our teaching artists can direct their attention fairly to everyone!

If there is not a “~” (eg: 10-17) then the age range is more strict, and is intended to create intentional space for a specific age group, which we ask folks to respect.

If you have questions about the specifics of a program and whether your kid might be a good fit, please feel free to reach out.

We ask that families contribute what they’re able to in a given moment and environment. This not only helps us ensure that our programming is accessible, but enables us to pay our teaching artists in a way that honors their labor and practice.

Please see our Scholarships and Sliding Scale page for a full breakdown of our sliding scale policy.

1: RESEPECT OTHERS’ ART, BODIES, & HEARTS.
This can look like:

• do not touch others’ art or bodies without permission/consent!

• only call people what they’ve asked to be called (this includes their name, nicknames, pronouns, etc)!

• lead with kindness!

2: RESEPECT YOUR OWN ART, BODY, & HEART.
This can look like:

• express and take care of your boundaries and needs!

• step away if you need a break!

• drink water and use the restroom when your body needs! (you don’t have to ask!)

• do not speak unkindly about your art or creative skills!

3: RESPECT THE STUDiO.
This can look like:

• remember that this is a shared studio, with lots of creatives who depend on it! treat the space and materials kindly!

• absolutely no throwing anything in the studio!

• we are collectively responsible for this space! we work together to clean messes and maintain the studio!

• youth cannot leave the studio without signing out!