NeON Arts

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NeON Arts—a program of the New York City Department of Probation (DOP) in partnership with Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute—integrates arts into the seven NeONs (community-based probation centers located throughout New York City). The project empowers local stakeholder groups to choose art projects for their communities—projects that engage clients and neighbors in strengths-based activities supporting educational outcomes and connecting to employment opportunities.

Meaningful arts projects that enrich their local communities, participants learn transferable skills and develop positive peer relationships. NeON Arts workshops are open to young people ages 16–24 years old, including those on probation and additional community youth.

A path to work

Participating in NeON Arts helps young people for the world of work by developing the 21st-century job skills employers are looking for, including the ability to work creatively with others, visual literacy, and critical thinking across disciplines.

Arts get results

According to a groundbreaking study by the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania, providing arts programming in underserved neighborhoods improves public safety. In these neighborhoods, having access to arts programming is associated with:

1. A 14% decrease in cases of child abuse and neglect
2. An 18% increase top-level English and Math scores
3. An 18% decrease in the serious crime rate

A network approach

NeON arts is offered in partnership with Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute and the Renaissance Youth Center to help facilitate the grant-making process and work with arts organizations and local NeON stakeholders to ensure that each project benefits the entire community. NeON Arts consists of a final showcase at Carnegie Hall, career opportunities, local arts workshops, and concerts. NeON Arts relies on public and local resources as well as private and public funding, while local stakeholders work together to decide how to allocate resources to meet community needs.