Creative youth development (CYD) is a new term for a longstanding theory of practice that integrates arts and cultural education with positive youth development principles. In the first part of this session, attendees will learn about the national movement to coalesce the field, current research (including on how CYD programs can innovate through the current crises of 2020, including COVID-19, economic recession, and civil uprising against systems of White Supremacy), and practice-focused principles to help inform their work in communities. The first half of this session will feature Dairrick Khalil and the collective of Arts Amplifying Youth and discover how creative youth development supports young people in developing the personal, social, and intellectual skills that are critical to success in life, school, and leadership. Meet young leaders and learn how they thrive when they have opportunities to maximize their creative potential. When that potential is supported with opportunities to lead we create space for young people to innovate change and maximize community potential. ULA, MLA, CB, DS, M, H Featured Speakers: Dairrick Khalil Hodges, Founder, Executive Artistic Director, The SOULcial Workers, San Diego, CA; Noor Alramadan; Karina Frost; Angel Lara; Gissele Rocha, Youth Leaders from Arts Amplifying Youth; Jeff M. Poulin, Managing Director, Creative Generation, Washington, D.C.