Dance Programs Empowering Youth

The DEA Educational Foundation (DEAEF) has brought the successful and well sought-after DEAEF Youth Dance Program to schools and youth partner sites for thirteen years. And, each year interest in the program and our waitlist grows. The DEAEF has seen first-hand how dance can be a positive and healthy alternative to drug abuse and misuse as well as a strong tool for self-expression. We are honored to continue to work with the amazing dance companies and instructors that we have, in many cases, partnered with for years and we are also honored to work with the youth we get to interact with every week. 

Due to the longevity of the DEAEF YDP we have developed legacy programs and tradition in our over 55 dance program cities nationwide. Such as, our now six-year partnership with Ranger High Tech Academy in North Ridgeville, OH where kids dance weekly with instructors from Ballet Legato. Over the years students have had a chance to grow with the program, not just in learning steps but also through teamwork, discipline and creativity. We have also watched how youth embrace our long-term teachers, such as Teacher Eileen from Culture Shock Chicago who has said, "The DEAEF Dance Program empowers students to make healthy choices and express themselves creatively through movement. Through dance, we provide not only physical activity but also a safe space for mentorship, confidence building, and fostering positive relationship.  I am truly honored to be a part of the DEA Educational Foundation - it has been one of the greatest joys of my teaching career." And, we have seen how the legacy of some of our long-term programs has created a foothold in the community, such as our program work in Portland, Maine where teacher Elizabeth leads an annual summer camp and in Manchester, NH where Granite State Dance Center leads winter and spring dance camps and multiple school programs in partnership with the DEA Educational Foundation. We thank our everyday heroes, our teachers and partners, for making a difference in the lives of youth.

As we come to an end of the 2025 year, the DEA Educational Foundation continues to focus on what WE can do to make a difference in someone’s life. We look at how we help to make a child smile, live a drugfree lifestyle and find successes through positive mentorship. The DEA Educational Foundation Youth Dance Program is one outlet that helps to achieve these goals and we hope you will support us in the endeavor. 

Links:

• DEA Educational Foundation