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Power Up Their Potential

Each gift powers free after-school programs where teens learn filmmaking, podcasting, photography, and storytelling — all while gaining confidence, creativity, and real-world career skills.

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RSVP Here!

We're wrapping up an amazing year, and we want YOU to join us for an evening of fun, laughter and holiday cheer!

Snacks • Drinks • Holiday Sweets

Movies • Karaoke • Dance, Dance, Revolution

White Elephant Swap! What’s a White Elephant Swap? Bring a wrapped, anonymous gifts(the sillier, the better). Don’t spend more than a $5. Draw numbers, and then take turns opening a gift or stealing one that someone else has already opened!

ALL AGES WELCOME!

December 20th, 3:00-6:00 PM

AYM Studio

Come in your favorite Holiday Pajamas or Ugly Sweaters (yes, PJs!) - get cozy and festive!

Classes and Programs

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    2025-2026 CLASSES

    It’s time for a new school year!

    Starting Sept 22nd, join us for Photography, Podcasting, Animation, Filmmaking and Editing Classes!

    Register
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    WORKSHOPS

    Throughout the School Year, AYM will offer Workshops on MCPS ½ days and No School days! Check our Calendar for the next Workshop!

    Sign-up
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    INTERNSHIPS

    AYM offers 2 paid internships each year, usually in the Spring and Summer. We also offer internships that fulfill MCPS Career Readiness requirements.

    Apply

AYM @2025 Smithsonian Folklife Festival

  • Two people in the foreground watch two AYM volunteers in the background drying a blue cyanotype image.
  • A logo reading "Youth and the future of Culture" surrounded by a streaky rainbow border.
  • Two people are behind a table with shirts laid out upon it. A woman points to one of the shirts. They appear to be making a business deal.
  • Four people sit on a stage with microphones in front of them. The person second from the left is speaking.
  • Two people at a table sculpting brightly colored clay. They are sitting across from each other.
  • A tray of assorted clay creations.
  • A blackboard reading "What does culture mean to you" in colored chalk.
  • A piece of paper being held with tongs. The paper is wet, appearing to be a cyanotype photo depicting two white stars and the letter R. The letter R is reversed.
  • Two painted sheets of paper covered in brightly colored foam shapes and wooden cutouts. This is done to create a cyanotype photo.
  • A painted sheet of paper covered in brightly colored foam shapes and wooden cutouts. This is done to create a cyanotype photo. To the left is a person cutting a foam star.
  • Two people talking. One is sitting down and wears an Action Youth Media shirt while the other is presumably a passerby.
  • A person in an Action Youth Media shirt holding up a piece of painted paper used for cyanotype making. They appear to be explaining cyanotypes. Their name tag reads "Nora T."
  • Three people sitting at a table and sculpting brightly colored clay. The pair facing away from the camera are an older woman and young child while the person across from them is an Action Youth Media employee.
  • A person sits at a table in front of an open laptop.
  • Two people at a table watch a third person demonstrate how to use a stop motion animation app. On the table in front of them, a phone is set up on a tripod, photographing an orange clay figure. Assorted clay is strewn on the table as well.
  • A photo of a person sitting at a table. With his left hand he holds an indistinct yellow clay object. With his right hand, he is holding a phone to photograph the object.
  • Panel discussion at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, featuring seven women sitting on stage with microphones, a red Smithsonian Folklife Festival banner, and a large screen displaying festival information in the background.
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Volunteer

GET INVOLVED

We envision young people shaping communities where everyone values and respects one another, where everyone has opportunities to express themselves using media arts.

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OUR PARTNERS

A graphic reading "National Endowment for the Arts" above a red, white, and blue stripe. Besides the stripe is smaller text reading "arts.gov".
A logo with "Department of Commerce" written underneath it. A graphic Reading "MSAC" with "Maryland State Arts Council below it.
A blue and green graphic of a stylized letter H. "Maryland Humanities" is written below.
Official county emblem of Montgomery County, Maryland.
Logo reading "arts & humanities council of Montgomery County"
Seal of the City of Takoma Park, Maryland.
Logo of stylized "A" in white text over a red background. Below, in white text, reads "Adobe"
Blue logo reading "BORIS FX" in white and grey lettering.
"Coverfly" written in white text upon a red background.
A graphic reading "Final Draft" with a stylized illustration of paper.
Four squares in red, green, blue, and yellow. To the right is "Microsoft" in grey text.
Minimalist lineart of a camera with "SPB" written in the lens. "SPB" stands for "Showtime Photo Booth".
Green decal with "Chino Cienega Foundation" written in grey to the right.
Circular logo with letters "CLA" and "Foundation" written to the right in grey.
Text reading "Eugene B. Casey Foundation".
Gold text reading "Harman Family Foundation".
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JOIN OUR MAILING LIST

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There are several comfortable looking couches, with a two seater couch and three single seater couch with a colorful rug in the center and a small table. The space looks bright and comfortable, there is a back room visible with several desks.
A wide space with black and white tiles, there are two long desks against the wall in the back with computers and chairs. There are two long desks in the middle of the space with chairs. The space is bright.
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