Since 1997, one Seacoast-based nonprofit has been meeting the moment for young people through free arts programs, mentorship, and community. Arts in Reach (AIR) has spent the past three decades centering youth needs in their work, continually adapting how and where programs are offered so more young people can access the connection, confidence, and trusted relationships they need to thrive. The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation has been supportive of AIR’s work since 1999, honoring their adaptability and growth through the years. AIR was founded as a free arts program for low-income middle school girls at a time when few opportunities like it existed. Today, AIR welcomes youth of all genders ages 10–18, while continuing to serve many girls and gender-expansive youth who face disproportionate barriers to mental health, belonging, and opportunity.
New Hampshire girls, who are twice as likely as New Hampshire boys to experience poor mental health, depression, self-harm, and suicide consideration, have the highest rate of poor mental health amongst New England girls and a 9% higher rate of poor mental health than the national average for girls. Those numbers increase greatly for gay, lesbian, or bisexual girls, and questioning girls.
“Young people need more than somewhere to go after school,” explained Jennifer Minicucci, AIR’s Executive Director. “They need places where they are known, where caring adults show up consistently, where they can take a risk without being afraid to fail, and where who they are is welcomed. AIR is that ‘third space’—a place outside of home and school where young people can make art, make friends, try something new, and begin to see themselves and their futures differently.”
AIR works towards three outcomes with and for participants: building a stronger sense of self through creative expression and exploration; creating belonging through healthy relationships with peers, mentors, and community; and developing a sense of purpose that encourages curiosity, goal-setting, and hope for the future. Art is the tool, but the larger goal is healthy development.
Since their founding, AIR has provided a wide variety of community arts and mentorship programs evolving over time to remove barriers to participation. All AIR programs are free and include transportation, supplies, snacks, and professional teaching artists. More recently, and with the support of the NHWF, AIR has expanded its Outreach work, bringing multi-session programs directly into schools, residential programs, and other community settings for young people who may not be able to reach AIR’s traditional programs even when those programs are free.
In 2025, the Women’s Foundation awarded AIR a Community Grant for general operational support as the organization continued this evolution. “Flexible support gives us the ability to respond to what young people are telling us they need,” said Minicucci. “It has helped us expand access, strengthen partnerships, and reach young people who might otherwise be left out.”
AIR’s story is one of both continuity and change. What began as an effort to create opportunity and community for girls has grown into an inclusive creative youth development organization serving young people across the Seacoast, while remaining deeply committed to girls, gender-expansive youth, and others whose identities or circumstances can make belonging harder to find. The New Hampshire Women’s Foundation has been honored to support AIR through that evolution.
To learn more about AIR or our other 2025 grantees, visit: https://nhwomensfoundation.org/grantmaking/2025-grant-recipients/.
To learn more about girls’ mental health, visit our Status of Girls in New Hampshire report: https://nhwomensfoundation.org/status-of-girls-nh/.
