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Programs

Teen & Adult Programs

Teen Program
Internships & Community Service
Workforce Program

At Sitar we offer many opportunities for teens and young adults to continue developing as artists and leaders into adulthood.  

Beginning in high school and continuing through young adulthood, 14-24 year olds can participate through a number of avenues including: 


Click on one of our Programs above to learn more! 

Sitar’s Emerging Arts Leaders

Teen Program

Sitar’s Emerging Arts Leaders Program is open to all high school teens (9th to 12th graders)  looking to level up their artistic and leadership skills. Only teens enrolled in a class at Sitar Arts Center qualify to participate in this program. Teens will have access to workshops led by professionals in the field, go on field trips to arts and cultural institutions, and will be eligible to participate in community service opportunities at Sitar! S.E.A.L. students are also invited to take advantage of Open Studio time and use Sitar’s facilities to work on their artform free of charge.  

Interested in becoming a Sitar’s Emerging Arts Leader? Please fill out this form. 

*Important: To qualify for S.E.A.L. and register for one of our teen arts classes please check out Sitar’s Course Selection and Registration Page. 

S.E.A.L. Weekly Schedule 

Fall Semester: September 25, 2023 – December 4, 2023  

Spring Semester: January 29 – May 4, 2024 
Mondays – 6:00pm – 7:00pm 

 
Questions? Please contact Nickole Best at nickole@sitarartscenter.org

Internships & Community Service 

Summer Internships 

Sitar Arts Center is pleased to offer two exciting internship opportunities to teens and young adults during the summer, the S.E.A.L. Summer Internship through DC’s Summer Youth Employment Program and the Bloomberg Arts Internship.  

S.E.A.L. Summer Internship  

Each summer, Sitar employs a limited number of students ages 14-24 who are paid through the Department of Employment Services Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program. Each youth chosen selects an area of work to apprentice in for the summer:  

  • Mural Arts   
  • Summer Camp Class Assistant      
  • Musical Theater   

Both Sitar students and non-Sitar students can apply for summer internships at the Center. However, S.E.A.L. program members who apply will have their applications reviewed first and the best candidates from the S.E.A.L. Program are given priority for filling summer internship slots.  

Individuals ages 14-24 who do not qualify for SYEP are still encouraged to apply as they may be eligible to receive a stipend or can earn community service as an intern.  

For more questions regarding summer internship opportunities, please contact Nickole Best at nickole@sitarartscenter.org or by phone at (202) 797-2145, ext. 110.  


Bloomberg Arts Internship 

Sitar Arts Center is proud to be the DC home of the Bloomberg Arts Internship program. In this program rising high school seniors complete well paid summer internships at local arts and culture organizations three days a week and participate in workforce development and college readiness training two days a week.  

Launched in 2012 in New York City, the Bloomberg Arts Internship helps set up the next generation for success as they transition from high school to college and the workforce—whether in the arts or other industries. Nationally, the program has placed more than 1,106 students at over 200 cultural organizations. Further, 77% of interns since 2018 increased their writing proficiency–as measured by program evaluators via a nationally-used scoring metric–with close to half of interns achieving scores that would exempt them from remedial college coursework.  

Previous Internship worksites in DC have included:  

  • Project Create  
  • Touchstone Gallery and Foundation for the Arts  
  • National Children’s Museum  
  • DC Fashion Foundation 
  • National Gallery of Art  
  • DC Independent Film Festival  

Bloomberg Arts Interns work on various assignments, including but not limited to reviewing and posting social media, prepping for shows and making sets, teaching children and youth in the arts, and event planning.   

The Bloomberg Arts Internship is 7 weeks long and participants must be able to attend the entirety of the program.  

Our Summer 2024 program will run from June 24th – August 9th.  Applications will open in January 2024 for the Bloomberg Arts Internship Summer 2024.  

For more information about the Bloomberg Arts Internship Program, please contact Korina Isler at korina@sitarartscenter.org or by phone at (202) 960-4047.  

Gallery Exhibitions  

Our Annual Juried Exhibition invites visual artists to submit their work to a themed show providing them the opportunity to learn more about the process of showing their work, pricing and selling pieces. Artists 16 years old and up are encouraged to submit artwork. To learn about upcoming Gallery Exhibitions and Artist Calls please visit our Gallery Exhibitions Page.  

Community Service 

Students who participate in the S.E.A.L. program during the school year are given priority for community service placement. Non-S.E.A.L. students can request to work with Sitar for community service and will be accepted on an as-needed basis. Community service credit can be earned in three ways:   

  • Weekly support for the duration of a semester  
  • One-off support of Sitar events  
  • Through Sitar’s Summer S.E.A.L. Internship Program  

For weekly support community service opportunities, students must make a commitment for the full duration of the semester (12 weeks) and must attend their community service job each week in order to receive credit. Students can earn 1-6 hours per week (for a total of 10 – 60 hours for a fall or spring semester) and are responsible for keeping track of their earned hours.  

Community service hours can also be earned when students support one-off events, such as Sitar’s Gala, October Costume Party, and December Graham Cracker House Event. Students can earn up to 6 hours during these events. Please indicate in the Volunteer Form below if you are interested in supporting these.   

Additionally, community service opportunities are available during the summer for interns who apply to the S.E.A.L. Summer Internship Program.   

If you are interested in community service opportunities, please fill out Sitar’s Volunteer and Intern Application here: https://form.jotform.com/230185376191053 

Questions regarding community service opportunities can be directed to Nickole Best at nickole@sitarartscenter.org or by phone at (202) 797-2145, ext. 110.