Teen Apprenticeship Program 2025 Mentor

The Teen Apprenticeship Program (TAP) mentor is a paid position for undergraduate college students with an interest in the arts and art education. The ideal candidate for this program is creative, flexible, interested in learning about art education, comfortable presenting and speaking in front of groups, and committed to serving as a mentor to high school students. They will serve as role models for the high school interns and must maintain high standards of professionalism and personal conduct. 

Mentors will provide guidance and oversight to high school students who are trained to teach art to children in summer camps around the city. Mentors will be responsible for specific aspects of the program and will learn about implementing a highly effective arts education program while assisting with program administration. 

The mentor is a seasonal part-time position reporting to the Associate Manager and supports supervision of a cohort of interns.  

 Program Details 

The Teen Apprenticeship Program (TAP) consists of two parts, during the spring, high school students train as apprentices with a Studio Institute artist instructor during weekly meetings. Students learn the fundamentals of art making and prepare to lead classes for young learners. Instruction focuses on building art-making skills, writing lesson plans, facilitating group conversations, and practicing teaching.  

In addition, students learn to develop good work habits and understand expectations of the workplace. Upon successful completion of the spring apprenticeship, students qualify for a paid internship teaching visual art to elementary school children in New York City summer camps. 

Primary responsibilities include; 

• Required participation in a 3-day mentor orientation session prior to the start of the summer internship program. 
• Serve as a mentor to a cohort of high school students who are teaching at summer camps throughout New York City in the Teen Apprenticeship Program.   
• Administrative assistance and support for the program, including collection of timesheets and work-related documents for teens. 
• Use of Google Workspace applications to manage various aspects of the program including emails, collections of documents and uploading into a shared drive, managing schedules and data entry in worksheets, and developing and reviewing presentations in google slides. 
• Manage and implement a schedule for visiting campsites in the summer to support TAP interns and provide feedback on their teaching. 
• Photo-documentation of the TAP Program at weekly class sessions as well as at all work sites and timely upload of documentation. 
• Assist in preparation of final reports and documentation of the program for social media. 
• Provide one-on-one support to interns throughout the summer program and for their final summer presentations.
• Provide feedback on performance for select interns for their SYEP evaluations. 
• Assist with managing the tracking for completion of program evaluation surveys for interns.

Applicants must  

• Complete fingerprinting and background check clearances 
• Attend a mandatory orientation first week of July, commit to a set schedule during the program weeks July 7th – August 15th (exact dates/times will be provided), and contribute to a debrief session to wrap up the program 
• Be a sophomore, junior, or senior in a college/university within the five boroughs of New York City 
• Be enrolled full-time during the 2024-2025 academic year (submit an unofficial transcript) 
• Provide a professional reference as part of the application process 
• Have an interest in mentoring with high school students 
• Be able to travel throughout NYC 
• Have an interest in arts education for elementary school students 
• Have experience using Google applications and managing emails 
• Have strong verbal and written communication skills 
• Have an interest in developing and using public speaking skills 
• Have strong organizational skills and time management skills
   

Personal Qualities and Habits of Work

• Commitment to the mission of Studio Institute and an interest in the arts. 
• Solution oriented in a collaborative work environment with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. 
• Ability to work with a diverse group of stakeholders including artists, leadership, and consultants. 
• Ability to provide clear direction and develop efficient teamwork. 
• Be flexible to support programs and events outside of regular work hours. 

Tentative start date: July 1, 2025 (possible paid hours in May)
Salary: $22.50 per hour
Job type: Part-time, seasonal. Up to (25) hours per week.
Benefits: N/A

The distribution of the hours per week across the following days; Monday/Tuesday travel to campsites, Wednesday at 75 West End Avenue (at 63rd Street), and Thursdays attend schedule field trips as requested, also scheduled time for asynchronous work.