Programs
Teen & Adult Programs
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:
- S.E.A.L.: Sitar’s Emerging Arts Leaders (14-18 year olds)
- S.E.A.L. Summer Internships (14-24 year olds)
- Bloomberg Arts Internship (17-18 year olds)
- Gallery Exhibitions (16 years and up)
- ArtsAdvance: Career Studios (18-24 year olds)
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 high school teens (9th to 12th graders) looking to level up their artistic and leadership skills. 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 art form free of charge.
Interested in becoming a Sitar’s Emerging Arts Leader? Please have a guardian register you using our Registration Portal.
S.E.A.L. Weekly Schedule
Spring Semester: January 27, 2025 – May 3, 2025
Wednesday – 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
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 one of two local government programs:
Applicants may select a specific internship based on their area of interest:
- Mural Arts Internship: Interns will work as part of a team in the creation of several collaborative mural projects as well as have an opportunity to work individually on an independent project. Interns will receive technical instruction to improve the quality of their work. To be considered, interns MUST provide a portfolio of recent drawings/paintings.
- Classroom Assistant: Interns will work during Camp Sitar as teaching assistants in the classroom, supervising and supporting students in grades K-8. Interns will play an important role in daily functions and will work closely with both the teaching artists and students.
- Musical Theater Internship: In addition to performing in the summer musical, interns will engage in theatrical design workshops and build sessions, mentor younger students in the musical, and some may have opportunities to help with production management. Interns are required to attend at least one Saturday tech day (July 12 and 19) and all performances (July 31 and August 1-3). Any interns with a principal role will be required to attend orchestra rehearsal (July 26).
Leadership Opportunities
Interns who have worked at Sitar for more than two summers are eligible for additional hourly pay. Those selected will be tasked with more responsibility during Summer Camp. Not all who are eligible will be selected.
This internship is open to both Sitar students and non-Sitar students. However, S.E.A.L. program members who apply will have their applications reviewed first and 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 hours as an intern.
Our S.E.A.L Summer Internship program will run from June 23 – August 1, 2025.
Application Deadline: March 16, 2025
For questions regarding summer internship opportunities, please contact:
Nickole Best, Youth Workforce Manager, at nickole@sitarartscenter.org regarding mural internships.
Ashley Meads, Youth Workforce Coordinator, at ashley@sitarartscenter.org regarding classroom assistant and musical internships.
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 1,700 students at more than 250 cultural organizations. 80% of 2017-2022 alumni enrolled in college, compared to 53% of high school graduates nationally. Further, 79% of interns since 2018 increased their writing proficiency, as measured by program evaluators via a nationally-used scoring metric. And, 60% of 2022 interns achieved writing 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 seven weeks long and participants must be able to attend the entirety of the program.
Our 2024 Bloomberg Arts Internship worksites, including Sitar Arts Center, are:
- Anacostia Playhouse
- Capital Hill Arts Workshop
- Children’s Legacy Theater
- DC Arts Center
- DC Fashion Foundation
- Grassroots DC
- Hillwood Estate Museum & Gardens
- National Children’s Museum
- National Theatre Foundation
- O Street Mansion
- Project Create
- Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
- Studio Acting Conservatory
- The Dance Institute of Washington
- The MusicianShip
- Touchstone Art Gallery
- Youth Entrepreneurship Institute
Application Deadline: March 16, 2025
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 six 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.