Creative Careers Summer Program
Apply Here
About Creative Careers
Washington D.C. is ranked #1 in the country for the highest concentration of jobs in the arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media industries and is the top-paying state (by annual mean wage) for jobs in this field, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
About the Program
We are looking for creative D.C. high school students with individualized education programs (IEPs) or 504 Plans ages 14-22 to participate in SchoolTalk’s Creative Careers Summer Program! Accepted youth will form small teams and receive coaching from professional artists to create original artistic pieces aligned with the theme “Your Voice, Your Power.” Youth will experience what it’s like to engage in a collaborative, multimedia album production process with youth artists representing a range of artistic mediums including photography, videography, music production, and visual arts. The program will culminate in a Creative Showcase.
SchoolTalk’s Creative Careers Summer Program supports the successful transition of D.C. high school students with disabilities by providing a safe space with access to state-of-the-art equipment for them to use to express themselves, understand how their stories and experiences can help others, and gain marketable skills that can open doors to a range of creative careers.
Programming is delivered by a dynamic team of award winning, professional artists, most of who are native Washingtonians, including:
- SchoolTalk: Named one of The Kennedy Center’s Next 50, a select group of 50 organizations and leaders leading the way toward a more inclusive, inspired, and compassionate world.
- Asheru (Guerilla Arts Ink): First hip hop artist to receive the prestigious Peabody Award, creator of theme song for the The Boondocks, U.S. Cultural Ambassador (State Department)
- Konshens the MC (Edutainment Unlimited): Recipient of the Grammy Academy Community Award, U.S. Cultural Ambassador (State Department), and UNCCD Land Ambassador
- Will Starks (Lyarks Films International): Named in Top 5 Photographers in Washington, D.C. – RAW Artists Awards
Teaching artists collaborate with teams of youth to create original pieces and coach youth in industry standards and in building soft skills and technical skills.
Time Commitment & Location
Students participate in 30 hours of programming between June – August 2025 (3-5 hours per week). The program schedule will be created to best meet the needs of the accepted group of students for this cycle.
- In person sessions will be once per week (3-4 hours) at our studio on the Brookland Arts Walk in NE, D.C. (Metro accessible)
- Virtual sessions will be once per week (1 hour) on Zoom
Transportation
Youth or their families are responsible for transportation to and from sessions. Metro SmartTrip cards are available upon request.
We Pay Youth
Programming is FREE to participants!!! In fact, SchoolTalk will pay a stipend to students who complete the 30 hours of programming!
Eligibility Requirements
Participants must meet the following criteria to be eligible to participate:
- 14 to 22 years old
- Currently enrolled in a D.C. high school through June 2025
- Have an individualized education program (IEP) or 504 plan
- Strong interest in pursuing a creative or artistic career, including careers in music production, photography, or videography
- Demonstrated experience in one of the following (Experience can be formal training, such as classes, shows, performances, or it can be informal experience as a self-taught artist, such as creating music or beats on Garage Band, writing poetry, and more).
- Music Production, such as song writing, spoken word, song recording, or audio production
- Photography, such as digital photography, film photography, or photo editing
- Videography, such producing and editing music videos, animated videos, or stop-motion videos
- Visual Art, such as drawing, painting, sculpture, and more
- Must be able to participate in at least 30 hours of coaching sessions between June & August 2025
- Youth (and a parent/guardian if the applicant is under 18) must participate in a mandatory information session about program requirements.
- This is a Pre-Employment Transition Service (Pre-ETS), funded by the D.C. Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). Students must complete the RSA Pre-ETS participation forms prior to the program start date. Pre-ETS Participation Form: https://dds.dc.gov/node/1497536
Please note that this program will be able to accept up to 30 youth. Not all applicants will be accepted into this program. Applicants who do not meet the above listed requirements will not be considered. Priority and waiting lists will be created as needed. SchoolTalk offers various projects throughout the year. If you are not accepted into this project but would like to receive information about other projects, please let us know at dcyln@schooltalkdc.org.
Youth Content Examples
Curious what kind of projects youth have created with SchoolTalk in the past? Check out this example!
Application
Questions & Contact Information
Not sure if this project is right for you? Contact Sarah Grime at sarah.grime@schooltalkdc.org or 202-487-1976.
Partners
- D.C. Department on Disability Services
- D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities
