The 1st CYT National Talent-Thon took place from April 22nd - June 20th, 2020. Hundreds from across the nation shared their talent with CYT and 15 Grand Prize Winners won a virtual Meet & Greet with Film Director of Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights, Jon M. Chu! This nationwide fundraising event benefited ALL CYT's around the country, as CYT celebrated 40 years of character building through theater arts. We look forward to the next 40 years with jazz hands lifted high!

If you are a current student between the ages of 12-18, you have the option of entering a personal story into the annual My CYT Story Competition! The competition begins on the local level. Each Branch’s local Board of Directors will review all the stories submitted to National by their students and will select one local Branch Winner. The Branch Winner then moves on to the national level. These stories are read by the CYT National staff who then selects one National Winner of the My CYT Story Competition. The Branch winners are awarded a certificate of recognition and their stories are shared online for the CYT community!

The Decathlon Award recognizes exceptional CYT students who have demonstrated a love for theater by pursuing a well-rounded education in the theater arts and who have exhibited a character consistent with CYT values. The award includes a certificate of recognition to be presented at the CYT EXPO, as well as a personal letter of recommendation from Paul Russell, CYT Co-Founder.

CYT wants to ensure that students everywhere have an opportunity to experience the wonderful world of theater. CYT@school is a low-cost after school program that supports performing arts training in public and private schools.

The CYT@school program consists of eight weeks of drama, voice, and dance training which offers sound theater art instruction while also building character. All participating students perform in an end-of-session Showcase that is literature-based while still being very popular with students. Our teachers are enthusiastic positive role models who lead and inspire.

The Improvathon is an annual comedy showcase and competitive theater event for CYT students. Teams from all over the country get together each summer at the CYT EXPO to take part in the IMPROVATHON competition. It’s a hilarious way for students to showcase their talents, think quickly, and step out of their comfort zones.

High School Youth Pursuing Excellence (HYPE) is a leadership training group designed to challenge and guide the advanced students of CYT to be leaders inside and outside of CYT. Getting involved by serving the community around them, continuing to grow as an individual, and committing themselves to excellence in all they do are the core components of this CYT program.

Last year, TAP and CYT recruited a team to run a summer camp program in Uganda. These individuals worked directly with the youth of Uganda while participating in a unique cultural exchange. Are you interested in the adventure of a lifetime? Stay tuned for 2021 details and future trip information.

TAP and CYT plan to partner together in future years to make this happen AGAIN! TAP (Theater Arts Project) is the registered on-the-ground NGO in Uganda doing after-school theater arts every week. TAP believe in the power of the arts just as much as we do and was founded a CYT Alumni, Chris Ninness. Music and dance are universal languages. This partnership allows us to embrace that idea and start a significant cultural exchange.