Young Singers receives award at Annual Hats Off  Ceremony

Young Singers Palm Beaches became the first nonprofit to receive the Arts and Culture Impact Award from Nonprofits First at the Annual Hats Off Awards. Hats Off Nonprofit Awards took place at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. This event celebrates and recognizes nonprofit organizations and leaders in Palm Beach County who are dedicated to improving the community and contribute to making Palm Beach County a better place to live and work.

The Inaugural Arts and Culture Impact Award awarded to Young Singers honors a nonprofit whose distinguished achievements in service to our community have resulted in significant progress towards improving Arts and Culture in Palm Beach County. The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County sponsored this award category, which included twelve other significant arts organizations. Audience members at Hats Off noted that it’s clear that YSPB’s work is making a significant difference in the lives of children and teens, and it's wonderful to see this recognition at such a prominent nonprofit awards ceremony in Palm Beach County.

Young Singers of the Palm Beaches’ mission is to “teach life skills through music.” Conceived in 2003, Young Singers has always focused on transforming the lives of young children in our community by breaking down social barriers, developing life skills, providing an outlet for creativity, and fostering good citizenship. It is a universal belief that musical education strengthens literary and math skills, and recent studies confirm its value in building interpersonal skills, self-confidence, and emotional health providing a protective factor for depression and anxiety.

During the 2022/2023 season, which celebrated its 20^th anniversary, Young Singers enrollment included 280 children in grades 2 through 12. They produce two annual concerts at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts and smaller ensembles perform at various events throughout Palm Beach County. Additionally, they served over 3,000 youth in after school programming, who presented 60 community-based performances to an estimated audience of more than 18,000. Additionally, a South County Choir was started in 2022, thanks to funding from Impact100 Palm Beach County, to provide children's choir experiences in the southernmost area of the county.

Young Singers wants to offer musical experiences to all children with an interest in singing, so financial assistance is available for tuition, and funding comes from the Mary Murray Scholarship Fund and community partners. This fall, Young Singers’ choir member enrollment has reach 345 singers, with 40% receiving over $70,000 in tuition scholarships.

Young Singers of the Palm Beaches is sponsored in part by the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County, Palm Beach County Tourism and Development Council, Discover the Palm Beaches, The State of Florida: Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

For more information about Young Singers of the Palm Beaches or the organization’s upcoming holiday concert, Winter Tapestry, visit their website at yspb.org.