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!

The CYT EXPO is an annual celebration of our CYT family. It is a chance for us to bring unity to CYT Branches across the country through workshops, gathering, sharing, and more! The EXPO is open to CYT students and Branch leadership and hosts our national Improvathon competition, HYPE trainings, leadership meetings, and student activities. Come be a part of the bigger CYT picture!

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.

The annual CYT National Leadership Conference (NLC) provides an opportunity for CYT Leadership such as Artistic Directors, Managing Directors, Coordinators (Chapter, Shows, Classes, Camps), Board Members, and more, to step away from the day-to-day operations of CYT and invest in the organization through training, fellowship, and commitment to what we do.

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.

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.

EXPO 2020 may be cancelled this year but the work of CYT in the lives of students and families hasn’t stopped and we will continue to celebrate that through the MyCYT Story Competition this year. Deadline for entry into this year’s competition is May 31, 2020. Stay tuned for upcoming information on the live presentation of the MyCYT Story winner coming in June!

EXPO 2020 may be cancelled this year but the work of CYT students in the local Branches hasn’t stopped and we will continue to celebrate that through the Decathlon Award this year.  Deadline for the 2020 Application Process is May 31, 2020. Stay tuned for upcoming information on the live presentation of the Decathlon recipients coming in June!

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.