About Us
A youth-led nonprofit bringing music, mentorship, and friendship to children with disabilities.
Our Story
BestowYouth was founded by brothers Kevin Li and Jacob Li, two young people from Millburn, NJ and surrounding communities who wanted to give their peers a meaningful, hands-on way to give back to the community. What started as a simple idea, teaching music to kids who don't always get the chance to learn it, has grown into an organization run entirely by young volunteers.
Today, BestowYouth brings together teen and young-adult volunteers who teach, mentor, and perform alongside school-age children with disabilities, helping every student discover the confidence and joy that comes from making music. Many of our volunteers are also active members of AYLUS (The Alliance of Youth Leaders in the United States), carrying that same spirit of service into everything they do here.
Our Founders
Kevin Li
Kevin is a rising senior at Millburn High School and a versatile musician and instructor, performing and teaching piano, viola, percussion, guitar, and more. He volunteers extensively with the Alliance of Youth Leaders in the United States (AYLUS) as its NJ Chapter North Region Development Minister. As BestowYouth's founder, Kevin leads the organization day to day, recruiting and training volunteers and organizing its monthly performances for children with disabilities, and has authored a suite of free, browser-based music tools, including a voice memo studio, instrument tuner, and karaoke sing-along app, featured on this site's Free Music Tools page.
Jacob Li
With a level-4 diploma in Piano Performance from London Music School, Jacob is a passionate musician, teacher, and researcher dedicated to empowering children with disabilities through the power of music, including therapy methodologies. Jacob graduated from both The Juilliard School Pre-College and Millburn High School this year, and is headed to Emory University for his college studies.
Our Mission
To help and inspire school-age children with disabilities by connecting them with caring young volunteers through the teaching and playing of musical instruments. Our volunteers also regularly perform at local senior care centers, sharing the joy of music with older members of our community.
Where We Work
We're based in Millburn, NJ and surrounding communities, partnering with local families, schools, and community organizations to bring our programs directly to the students who can benefit from them.