NYCHA High Schoolers Experience The Met as Art and Culture Scholars

High school juniors and sophomores from NYCHA are exploring The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) for far more than an art history lesson over the next several months.  

Working as interns in a new Met-NYCHA Art and Culture Scholars Program, the young residents will be exposed to artworks and culture from around the globe, learn leadership development skills, gain experience, and explore a wide range of museum career opportunities. With the world-renowned museum in their home city, 25 NYCHA scholars will have unique access to The Met’s space and various exhibitions, while interacting with fellow youth from across New York City and working alongside museum staff and teaching artists.  

The inaugural initiative kicked off at the end of January and will run on Saturdays through June, offering the 10th- and 11th-grade participants a $1,100 stipend as part of a 40-hour internship. A partnership between NYCHA, The Met, and the Public Housing Community Fund, the free program is funded by Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies.    

“The NYCHA scholars will attend workshops with artists and other teens, where they will develop a program in collaboration with Met staff and, while doing so, connect with creative professionals as they develop their skills, network, and gain career experience,” said Alex Zablocki, Executive Director of the Public Housing Community Fund.    

Heidi Holder, the Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chair of Education at The Met, noted that NYCHA residents are among the institution’s neighbors and the new scholars program is part of a strategic plan to broaden its connection with local and global audiences. The initiative also seeks to eliminate some perceived barriers regarding access to the museum, where New York City residents can pay any amount they wish for admission.  

“These young people have access to The Met and all that we have to offer,” said Ms. Holder, adding that the interns receive Met identification cards. “They will be involved in a broad range of activities, from sketching in the galleries to curator talks.”  

In addition to expanding interest in arts and culture, Norah Yahya, The Met’s Senior Government Affairs Officer, said the scholars program is focused on professional development and “creating a pipeline” for youth who may want to pursue careers in the arts or an array of positions in museum services. 

“They’ll be exposed to every level of expertise that exists at the museum, right down to the shops, building management, and curatorial teams,” she said. “They will be able to see all the opportunities that exist in the museum world and be able to carve out their own future ideas for themselves.”  

Calling it a “groundbreaking” program, Mr. Zablocki also highlighted the effort to support pathways to higher education and future museum-related careers for youth who are passionate about the arts.   

“We want to offer NYCHA residents the best opportunities to not only be exposed to places like The Met and teaching artists that work at The Met, but also to explore career pathways, whether it be as a museum operator or beyond that in the arts and culture,” he said. “This is one step in their career journey as they explore potentially working in this field, while also working on a great project with NYCHA teens from around New York City.”  

During their visits to the over 150-year-old museum, the interns will tour a diversity of period rooms and exhibitions, learning about historic events and cultural movements, such as the Black settlement of Seneca Village at present-day Central Park and the Harlem Renaissance, to incorporate into their student projects. As part of the project curriculum, the young scholars will examine “artivism,” including how the arts and activism connect in New York City from past to present, as well as the role of art in their own lives. The internship will also feature field trips to local galleries and NYCHA campuses where public art is displayed, and scholars will present their projects at a culmination event in June.  

Through their exploration of The Met, the NYCHA art and culture scholars will have the chance to observe all facets of museum life at the home of masterpieces spanning centuries from throughout the globe.  

“There is everything here, and that exposure is a big part of it,” Ms. Holder said. “You can see a window into cultures from all over the world.”