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)
These programs enable teens and young adults to explore the arts through new perspectives. S.E.A.L. students collaborate on artivism projects while gaining leadership and early work experience. Summer interns in the S.E.A.L. and BAI programs dive into the world of work as they prepare for their next steps toward college or career. 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. Finally, the ArtsAdvance program supports young adults in their transition to the world of work while training them for a career in the creative economy.
Sitar’s Emerging Arts Leaders
Teen Program
S.E.A.L. (Sitar’s Emerging Arts Leaders) is Sitar Arts Center’s Teen program, for students from 9th – 12th grade. S.E.A.L. is a safe space for teens to bond with one another, grow, and learn.
S.E.A.L members will explore how creative expression builds community.
S.E.A.L. MEMBER CRITERIA
To participate in S.E.A.L., members must:
- Be in 9th-12th grade to enroll in XChange
- Attend at least four sessions per month
SEAL: XChange
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Fall Semester: October 14 – December 9, 2022
Fridays – 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Spring Semester: February 2023 – May 5, 2023
Wednesdays & Fridays – 4:00pm – 6:00pm
INSTRUCTORS
Korina Isler
Nickole Best
ARTISTIC PARTNER
Young Playwrights’ Theater
Build community inside and out in XChange, our program for high school students! XChange will be partnering with Young Playwrights’ Theater through the SAFER (Students Advocating for the Eradication of Racism) Program on Fridays. During their sessions they will be able to identify a social justice issue and create a performance that will raise awareness and create a dialogue within the community.
Throughout the semester, SEAL members have the opportunity to participate in community service projects, field trips, and community events for group bonding & arts exploration.
Questions? 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.
Last day to apply for Summer 2023 is March 12, 2023.
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
- Theater Lab
- 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 8 weeks long and participants must be able to attend the entirety of the program.
Our Summer 2023 program will run from June 26th– August 11th. Applications will open on January 16th and close on March 12th for the Bloomberg Arts Internship Summer 2023.
For more information about the Bloomberg Arts Internship Program, please contact Korina Isler at korina@sitarartscenter.org or by phone at (202) 797-2145, ext. 106.
Academic Year Internships
Internships are a wonderful way to gain professional experience and learn from others who have careers you may be interested in. If you would like to learn more about fields such as education, arts, nonprofit organizations, or any other field, consider an internship at Sitar. Internships can range from one semester to both academic semesters (Fall and Spring).
If you’re interested in pursuing an internship during the school year, please complete this form. For more questions regarding year-long internship opportunities, please contact Nickole Best at nickole@sitarartscenter.org or by phone at (202) 797-2145, ext. 110.
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 SEAL Internship Program
- *NEW* S.E.A.L. Community Workshop Series
- Workshops are open to 9th to 12th graders on select Mondays, 5:00-7:00PM. Dates for workshops include 2/13, 2/27, 3/13, 3/27, 4/10
- Any High School student enrolled in a Sitar class can participate in this workshop series. Start your Monday evening with an arts-based workshop (improv, beat making, fashion design, and creative writing) followed by a community service activity. Completing the series is equivalent to 10 community service hours. S.E.A.L. students will also have premium access to other service opportunities at Sitar as a Sitar Intern, Event Volunteer, or Youth Advisory Committee Member. Pair this with participation in XChange to earn even more community service hours!
For weekly support community service opportunities, students must make a commitment for the full duration of the semester (10 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, Halloween Costume party, etc. 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.