Programs
AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM
Exciting changes to the 2010 Fall Afterschool Program!
The SA Afterschool Program is back and better than ever. Now, youth ages 10-19 may learn new skills and get hands-on training and the arts & entrepreneurship during out-of-school time at SA! Our 10-week program will kick off on Monday, October 4 and culminate with a gallery show of student work and holiday pop-up shop the weekend of December 17. Participants may sign up to attend the Afterschool Program Mondays – Thursdays; Fridays are a free, drop-in afternoon where all participants are welcome to come by, work on their projects, and enjoy their time creatively. The Creative Entrepreneurs Club and the Girls Club will continue to meet as scheduled by the participants. Afterschool Program participants are divided into two groups according to age:
For ages 10-14:
Students aged 10-14 may register to become an Afterschool Program student by filling out a Student Application and paying a sliding scale fee according to their family’s needs. Students are welcome to register for more one or more afternoons per week Mondays – Thursdays; the program runs from 3pm – 6pm. There is no need to register for the drop-in Friday afternoons.
In order to help as many Students participate as possible, we have created a tiered sliding scale fee system. We do not ask that you provide financial documentation, but we do ask that you contribute as much as you can. There are limited slots at each tiered level, so please apply soon. We will request financial documentation for full scholarships. Afterschool Program fees are reinvested in SA and make it possible for us to continue providing our programs and offering generous scholarships to students in need. Fees range from $10-30 per afternoon; please refer to the Application for details or contact us with questions.
For ages 14-19:
Teens aged 14-19 may apply for an Internship position at the Fall 2010 Afterschool Program by filling out the Intern Application and speaking with SA staff. Intern candidates should have a strong interest in the visual arts, a desire to share their skills, and the ability to multitask. Interns will play an integral role in the Afterschool Program by acting as mentors to the younger students, planning & implementing projects & lessons, and enthusiastically working on their own artwork. Interns must attend an orientation afternoon and sign up for at least one afternoon per week. These internships will help teens grow & develop as both artists and leaders. Internship spaces are limited – apply soon!
All participants (Interns & Students) explore:
Weeks 1 & 2: PHOTOGRAPHY
Weeks 3 & 4: FILM & ANIMATION
Weeks 5 & 6: GRAPHIC DESIGN
Weeks 7 & 8: PRINTMAKING
Weeks 9 & 10: WHAT’S NEXT? Entrepreneurship, entering contests, and arts enterprises, oh my!
Important Dates:
* OPEN HOUSES @SA: Tues, September 21 through Thu, September 23 from 5pm-7pm each evening. Learn about the new Afterschool Program, meet the SA staff, introduce us to friends, and try an art project!
* Enrollment Week: Mon, September 27 through Thu, September 30 from 10am-6pm. Stop by SA’s regular business hours to drop off applications and payments.
* Thu, September 30: Intern & Volunteer Orientation, 5:30pm – 8:00pm
* Mon, October 11: Closed for Columbus Day
* Thu, November 11: Closed for Veterans Day
* Mon, November 22 through Fri, November 26: No classes for the week of Thanksgiving Day
* Thu, December 16: Final day of SA Afterschool Program; Student Gallery Show reception from 6pm-8pm, all participants & families welcome
* Weekend of December 17 (times TBA): Holiday Pop-Up Shop of student artwork & crafts
Vision
While some youth development and arts education programs prepare participants based on perceived future potential, SA believes that young people have contributions they can make today. SA is a unique space where students are expected to take initiative as they would in the work force. As a result of the open, welcoming, and safe environment, young artists are able to take the seed of an idea and see it grow and develop under hands-on guidance and one-on-one tutorials from staff and volunteer artists.
Many middle and high school students are amateur art-makers and media producers during out-of-school time. During the Afterschool Program, SA instructors take this existing creative energy and teach teens how to turn this passion into a profession using industry standard digital tools, exposing them to artists and business professionals, and presenting them with opportunities to be creative and enterprising. Participants sell their artwork at auctions, they curate and hang art shows, they are contracted and paid by outside vendors to perform work on graphic projects, and they assist in SA’s day-to-day operations.
During the Afterschool Program, participants explore:
* Digital Photography
- Nikon & Kodak digital cameras, Adobe CS3 Photoshop, Apple iPhoto
* Graphic Design
- Graphics tablets, Adobe CS3 Photoshop & Illustrator
* Animation & Video
- Nikon & Kodak digital cameras, Flip Video Cameras, Apple iMovie, FinalCut Pro, Adobe CS3 After Effects & Flash, Apple iMovie & Garage Band
* Printmaking
- Silkscreening, mono-plate printing, pinhole photography
* Crafts
- Machine & hand sewing, knitting, crochet, papier mache, button & sticker making, collage, paper art
* Business Basics
- Budgeting, marketing, PR, portfolio & interviewing skills, curating exhibitions
* Mentoring
- Hands-on assistance, homework help, application & interview preparation, portfolio review, internship opportunities, special workshops
Creative Entrepreneurs Club
An initiative of the Afterschool Program, the Creative Entrepreneurs Club (CEC) provides another opportunity for participants to utilize the arts to address social issues while learning essential job skills. Each term CEC Teen Leaders manage a Request For Proposals process, review the resulting proposals, and then complete a creative project to address the articulated needs. The nonprofit receives the services pro bono while students learn crucial job skills and the creative process.
The CEC arms youth with the business know-how, artistic skills, and confidence to act as a pro bono creative group serving nonprofit organizations in need, giving them concrete ways to serve. By teaching CEC Teen Leaders how to write a mission statement, put out an RFP, implement a review process, create budgets, recruit new members, and follow through on the creative project, we are instilling in them the essential skills that are necessary to the life of creative professionals and charismatic leaders.
Learn more about the CEC by clicking here.
VACATION ARTS INTENSIVES
During the New York City public school vacations, students have the opportunity to learn arts and business skills in a safe, creative, and relaxed environment. Each Arts Intensive runs from 11am – 5pm each day and includes a hot lunch. The Arts Intensives charge a reasonable fee and offer need-based scholarships to participants. Please contact us with any questions.
To apply for scholarship aid to attend a Vacation Arts Intensive you must meet in person with either Executive Director Marisa Catalina Casey or Program Coordinator Lacey Upton at least one week prior to the start of the Intensive. In addition, scholarship candidates must write at a one-page essay describing how they believe they are creative and entrepreneurial and what the student’s goals are for attending the Intensive. All scholarship aid is given at the discretion of Starting Artists, Inc. Contact Marisa with any questions.
To apply for an internship at SA during an Arts Intensive you must be a current participant or intern in good standing at Starting Artists or a member of a NYC-DYCD Youth Employment Program. Please speak to Marisa or Lacey in person if you would like to apply to become an Arts Intensive Intern. Interns receive school credit and fee waivers in return for their work. Summer Interns may receive compensation through the NYC-DYCD Summer Youth Employment Program. Learn more about this program by visiting their website.
