Our Word of the Year: Nurture

How Caring, Connection, and Creativity Shape Everything We Do at YES!

At YES!, the start of a new year is more than a fresh calendar, it’s a moment of reflection, intention, and possibility.

Each year, our team comes together to look back on what we’ve learned, celebrate the growth we’ve witnessed, and dream forward about how we can continue to serve young people with care and purpose. From those conversations, one guiding word emerges, a Word of the Year that helps anchor our decisions, our classrooms, and our community.

This year, that word is Nurture.

Why “Nurture” Matters

To nurture means to care for something and to attentively encourage growth. It’s about noticing what’s needed, responding with intention, and creating the conditions for something, or someone, to thrive.

In youth development and arts education, nurturing is essential. Young people don’t grow in isolation. They grow through relationships, encouragement, creativity, and safe spaces where they are seen and valued.

At YES!, Nurture serves as our guiding star, administratively and in the classroom. It reminds us that every interaction is an opportunity to care, to support, and to empower.

What Nurture Looks Like for Our Team

For our staff, educators, and teaching artists, Nurture is more than a value, it’s a daily practice. We use the word as a shared framework to guide how we show up for students, families, and one another.

Here’s how we define NURTURE as a team:

N – Notice
We notice what’s happening, emotionally, creatively, and socially. We pay attention to the small signals that tell us when a young person needs encouragement, rest, or celebration.

U – Understand
We seek understanding before judgment. Every student brings a unique story, background, and set of experiences into the room.

R – Regulate
We help create calm, predictable spaces where emotions are acknowledged and managed in healthy ways, by adults and youth alike.

T – Teach
We teach skills that extend beyond the art form itself: communication, collaboration, confidence, and resilience.

U – Uplift
We lead with affirmation. We celebrate effort, creativity, and growth, not just outcomes.

R – Respond
We respond thoughtfully, not reactively. We meet challenges with care and intention.

E – Empower
We empower young people to see themselves as capable, creative, and worthy of being heard.

This framework supports our educators as they navigate classrooms filled with creativity, curiosity, and real human emotions.

Making Nurture Meaningful for Students

Just as importantly, Nurture is something students can understand and practice themselves.

We’ve translated the concept into youth-friendly language so students can use it as a tool for self-expression, collaboration, and community care.

Here’s what NURTURE looks like for students:

N – Notice feelings
We encourage students to notice what they’re feeling, excitement, frustration, pride, nervousness, and to know that all emotions are welcome.

U – Use kind words
Kindness matters. How we speak to ourselves and others shapes the learning environment.

R – Respect others
Every voice, body, and idea deserves respect, onstage, in the studio, and beyond.

T – Try again
Mistakes are part of learning. We remind students that growth often comes from trying again.

U – Use your voice
Creativity is powerful. Students are encouraged to share ideas, ask questions, and express themselves authentically.

R – Remember we’re learning
No one is expected to be perfect. Learning is a process, not a performance.

E – Encourage each other
We grow stronger together. Encouragement builds confidence and community.

By giving students this shared language, we help them practice empathy, resilience, and collaboration, skills that extend far beyond the classroom.

Why This Matters for Families

For parents and caregivers, Nurture reflects the kind of environment we strive to create for your children, one that balances structure with creativity, accountability with compassion, and learning with joy.

Whether your child is stepping into a classroom for the first time or returning with years of experience, our commitment remains the same: to meet them where they are and support who they are becoming.

When young people feel nurtured, they are more likely to:

Take creative risks
Build confidence and self-awareness
Develop healthy relationships
Feel a sense of belonging

That’s the impact we aim for every day.

Nurture in Action at YES!

Across our programs, you’ll see Nurture come to life in many ways, through supportive teaching, inclusive spaces, and moments where young people realize, “I can do this.”

If you’d like to see how this philosophy translates into real outcomes, we invite you to explore our YES! Impact Reports, where we share stories, data, and reflections from the communities we serve:

👉 Read our Impact Reports:

You’ll find examples of how nurturing creativity and connection leads to meaningful growth, for students, families, and communities.

Stay Connected with YES!

Our word of the year may guide us internally, but our community is what brings it to life.:

Follow along on social media to see how Nurture shows up in classrooms, performances, and everyday moments of joy and learning:

Together, we’re nurturing creativity, confidence, and connection, one young person at a time.