Youth Resources and Advice
CDSS promotes youth involvement in traditional music, dance, and song with numerous resources to help you organize events, develop your talents, connect with other people, and get involved in the community. Have fun!
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Resources from CDSS
starter kits
Want to organize something? Start an event on your college campus? Draw more young people to your events? Youth Projects Intern Ethan Hazzard-Watkins developed these Starter Kits to provide the information you need to get a new event going or strengthen an existing group.
grants
CDSS offers grant support for starting new events or groups, getting young people involved, training leaders, performers, and organizers, publishing materials, and other activities. We want to help you have more fun, make your community better, and strengthen your organization's programs!
- Outreach grants: support for a wide range of new projects.
- Mentorship support: assistance for creating a mentorship relationship between a motivated student and an experienced teacher.
- Our grants are supported by generous contributions from individuals, members, and affiliate organizations. Learn how you can help by donating to CDSS...
camp courses
CDSS runs weeklong dance and music Camp sessions throughout the summer at three different locations. CDSS Camps are a great place to immerse yourself in a community of passionate dancers, musicians, singers, and teachers of all ages. Hone your talents, develop a new passion, dance the night away, and meet some great people. Young adults ages 17-25 should also check out the Advanced Dance and Music Course taking place at Timber Ridge this summer (09) for an exciting opportunity to work on advanced dance and music skills.
youth group discount
We now offer a 30% discount for student and youth groups purchasing materials from the CDSS catalog. The discount will help student groups with limited funds to access the wealth of knowledge that is contained in our catalog. Qs? contact the sales department.
articles
Recent articles about young people from the CDSS Newsletter and from a few other places. Read about a college Rapper team, two youth dance weekends, the concept of 'intergenerationality,' and other topics.
- Dancing on College Campuses, by Jenny Beer and Joanna Reiner
- Contra Dancing, the Next Generation, by Brian Gallagher and Julia Nickles
- Country Dancing as a College Course, by Brooke Friendly
- The Evolution of KAOS (Kick Ass Oberlin Sword), by Hannah Lindner-Finlay
- "Ingergenerationality" in the Dance Community, by Lily Leahy
- The Next Generation--Encouraging Youth in Dance and Music, by Chris Levey
- Whipperstompers, by Able Allen
- Maple Morris 2008, by Justin Morrison
- Youth Dance Weekend, by the YDW Organizing Committee
- College Essay - Calling Dances, by Rose Axelrod-Adams
- Two Dancing Queens Take Princeton By Storm, by Katherine Sanden
youth brochure
The youth programs brochure describes some of the resources available for folks interested in organizing youth dance and music events, bands, dance teams, etc. Download the brochure and pass it around, or ask us to send you some printed copies.
organizers' manual
Make it Happen is an in-depth organizers' manual focused on putting together successful workshops and leadership training events. Compiled by Linda Henry, Outreach Manager at CDSS, the manual is packed with useful information.
need advice?
Have a question that's not answered here? Want to share a success story? We'd love to hear from you. You can email the youth intern or give us a call at 413-268-7426.
Resources outside CDSS
Here are a few resources from outside CDSS that you might find useful. For links to youth organizations and events check out the groups listing.
YDW bread and butter: Participants in Youth Dance Weekend 2008 brainstormed a ton of ideas on a wide range of youth-related topics during the "Bread and Butter" discussion. See the results.
E&A Big themes
The "Big Themes" discussion from English and American week at Pinewoods in 2008 generated a lot of interesting thoughts about issues in our communities. The results are tabulated in a wiki site, where you can add your comments and continue the discussion.