From left to right, Infinity Students: Kassidy Marchiando, Abagail Batchelor, Jyxie White, Camden Claus, Zayden Odebralski, and Parker Liffner.
JAMESTOWN, NY (August 2026) – Infinity Visual and Performing Arts is honored to receive a With Youth For Youth grant, selected by young people through the WNY WYFY youth-led grantmaking process. Infinity’s program was chosen because it reflects what youth reviewers were looking for: meaningful youth voice, clear benefits for young people, strong community impact, and a responsible plan to use funds to expand opportunities for youth.
The WYFY Youth Advisory Board just directed more than $2 million in With Youth For Youth grants to 40 out-of-school time and youth sports programs across the nine-county region. The 24-member WYFY Youth Advisory Board of young people ages 13–17 designed the process, reviewed applications, and selected recipients. Real decisions. Real dollars. Led by young people.
At Infinity, student voices help to shape programming as a consistent organizational practice, with many classes, workshops, and special events developing directly from student interests and feedback. The With Youth For Youth grant will allow Infinity to build on that tradition by expanding its After School Creators program, and increasing the number of group classes, workshops, student community nights, leadership opportunities, performance experiences, and student-planned field trips.
As part of the initiative, Infinity’s Teen Advisory Committee will work alongside Infinity staff and teaching artists to provide feedback on future classes, workshops, field trip destinations, and student activities. While Infinity’s core programming staff will oversee implementation, the committee will help ensure new opportunities reflect student interests and ideas while continuing the organization’s long-standing commitment to listening to the young people it serves.
“This award is especially meaningful because it reflects the confidence that young people from all across Western New York have placed in Infinity and the work we do every day,” said Shane Hawkins, Executive Director of Infinity Visual and Performing Arts, Inc. “Our mission has always been to create opportunities where young people can grow, learn, and lead through the arts. This grant allows us to expand those opportunities while giving our own students an even stronger voice in shaping the experiences they want to see at Infinity. We’re so excited to bring these new ideas to life together!”
For nearly 28 years, Infinity has created a welcoming environment where young people can grow, learn, and lead through participation in the visual and performing arts. Each year, approximately 350 students participate in Infinity’s on-site programming, receiving more than 12,000 private lessons and over 4,200 hours of group instruction. Infinity also serves approximately 1,100 additional youth annually through school and community partnerships while providing nearly $40,000 in need-based scholarships to help ensure financial circumstances never become a barrier to participation.
As Infinity prepares for the launch of these expanded opportunities, the organization is also seeking additional teaching artists in a variety of artistic disciplines to support growing programming. Registration is currently open for the 2026-27 program year, and families interested in learning more about Infinity are invited to attend Infini-Con, Infinity’s free community open house and mini convention event on Friday, August 28 from 4-7pm. The event will feature facility tours, cosplay, opportunities to meet instructors, hands-on creative activities, and information about the wide variety of music, visual arts, dance, theater, and performance opportunities available throughout the upcoming year.
“The most impactful ideas often come directly from the young people we serve,” Hawkins added. “This investment gives us the opportunity to listen even more intentionally, create even more collaboratively, and continue building a place where every student knows their voice matters and feels ownership and belonging within our Infinity community.”
For more information about Infinity, visit www.infinityperformingarts.org.
About WNY With Youth For Youth (WYFY)
Afterschool With Youth for Youth (WYFY) is a multifaceted initiative empowering young people to redesign afterschool programming from the ground up. Coordinated by Youthprise and funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, the project connects five partner sites across the United States working to build sustainable youth leadership infrastructures rooted in equity, shared power, and design thinking. Through collaborative design thinking sessions and paid youth participation, WYFY centers young people as creators and leaders of their own learning experiences, helping afterschool systems amplify youth voices and transform educational opportunities.
About the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
For more than a century, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo has enhanced and encouraged long-term philanthropy in the Western New York community. A 501(c)(3) organization, the Community Foundation’s mission is connecting people, ideas, and resources to improve lives in Western New York. Established in 1919, the Community Foundation has made the most of the generosity of individuals, families, foundations, and organizations who entrust charitable assets to the Community Foundation’s care. Learn more at cfgb.org.
About the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is a grantmaking organization dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of Southeast Michigan and Western New York. The two areas reflect the devotion of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. to his hometown of Detroit and greater Buffalo, home of his beloved Buffalo Bills NFL team. Prior to his passing in 2014, Mr. Wilson provided that a significant share of his estate be used to continue a life-long generosity of spirit by funding the Foundation that bears his name. Based in Detroit, the Foundation began with a grantmaking capacity of $1.2 billion over a 20-year period, which expires January 8, 2035. This structure is consistent with Mr. Wilson’s desire for the Foundation’s impact to be immediate, substantial, measurable, and overseen by those who knew him best.
For more information about the Foundation, visit rcwjrf.org.
