Every stage of the E4 Ecosystem produces measurable outcomes — for young people, for communities, and for Austin's creative economy.
FY25 outcomes are organized around the same four-stage model that shapes the E4 ecosystem: Engage, Educate, Empower, and Elevate.
Building Culturally-Rooted Relationships
Engagement begins with identity. E4 Youth creates intentional entry points into the creative ecosystem — through public experiences, intergenerational storytelling, and community events that help young people see themselves as cultural producers, not just consumers.
Youth entering the E4 ecosystem
694
546 K–8 students + 148 high school students
Culturally-rooted partnerships
26+
6 school partners + 20+ industry and community partners
Elder oral histories collected and preserved
30+
Intergenerational storytelling events
Conducted at WOW/Rosewood Courts
Discrete count in development
Community belonging — survey data
Tracking begins FY26
Turning Curiosity into Demonstrated Skill
Education at E4 Youth is skill-based, culturally responsive, and measurable. Through the Creative Learning Academy, Get Creative! clubs, and Digital Storytelling workshops, participants build work that reflects who they are and where they come from.
Youth and emerging creatives served through creative media training
717
546 K–8 · 148 high school · 23 college-aged
Professional portfolios completed
43 GCC portfolios
51% of CLA members reached Level 3 quality
Youth completing the full storytelling curriculum
35.8%
53 of 148 GCC participants
Pre/post skills assessment
Framework launches FY26
Cultural competency training — educator participants
Tracking begins FY26
Activating Youth, Young Adults, and Elders as Cultural Leaders
Empowerment at E4 Youth means increasing responsibility and real-world accountability. Participants step into roles as co-creators, peer mentors, project leads, and cultural facilitators — not as recipients of a program, but as agents of it.
Early-career creatives in paid creative roles
23
College-aged youth
Industry professionals engaged as mentors and guest speakers
94.3%
Of CLA participants engaged in 3+ external industry experiences
Youth- and elder-led events produced
1 Annual Showcase
+ WOW community engagement sessions
Elders serving as cultural facilitators
Engaged qualitatively through WOW community sessions
Discrete count begins FY26
Participant confidence and leadership voice
Survey tracking begins FY26
Opening Paid Pathways and Amplifying Creative Work
Elevate is where the ecosystem pays off. Youth-produced work reaches real audiences, paid creative opportunities are secured, and participants return as mentors — extending the pipeline to the next generation.
Paid creative opportunities secured
23
Paid creative roles for college-aged youth
Industry reviews completed
100%
Of showcase participants completed 2 professional industry reviews
Employability session attendance
70.3%
Of CLA members attended consistently
Annual Showcase
1
Original work presented to families and industry professionals
Alumni returning as mentors
High school students stepped into peer mentorship roles
Formal alumni tracking begins FY26
Here is what Elevate looks like for real people.
Copywriter, Butler — formerly McGarrah Jessee
From financial services and enterprise software sales to two Austin advertising agencies — James found his path through two years of intentional development as a Get Creative! instructor. In January 2026, Breaking and Entering featured him at McGarrah Jessee as part of a profile on Austin’s creative industry.
Youth Development Coordinator, E4 Youth | UT Austin Class of 2026
Rhiannon walked into a Get Creative! club at Akins High School and has been part of the E4 ecosystem for six years. Digital Creative Apprentice, Creative Mentor, Proof Advertising intern, published illustrator, and now on staff — she graduated from UT Austin in May 2026 with a BS in Arts and Entertainment Technologies.
The numbers matter because the people behind them matter. Explore the stories, then connect with E4Youth about how to expand the work across Austin.