Background

In 2012, Bloomberg Philanthropies created the Bloomberg Arts Internship program in New York City as a pipeline for public school students to college and careers in the arts. The program’s success led the foundation to expand its reach, first to students in Philadelphia, then in Baltimore City, and now in Boston.

BAI is a rigorous program with three major elements: a six-week paid placement working day-to-day in an arts organization; opportunities to connect with artists, leaders and organizations that make Baltimore City such a vibrant arts community; and professional development focused on college and career readiness. Please watch this video to get a peek into the program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAnnoHq8fNI

Entering into its fifth year, Young Audiences is in search of dynamic, committed writing coaches to support our interns.

About the Internship

The Bloomberg Arts Internship offers paid summer internships to rising seniors from Baltimore City Public High Schools. The program is designed to challenge and inspire students and build strong career skills. We aim to:

• create meaningful workforce experiences in the field of arts and culture through placements at arts/cultural institutions;
• prepare students to apply and transition to college through professional development and the support of college mentors;
• develop knowledge of and connection to the city’s vibrant arts culture through panels of local artists, studio visits, and trips to local arts areas/organizations;
• strengthen oral and written communication skills through professional development and the support of writing coaches;
• create space for students to connect, create and catalyze change in their lives and communities;
• connect students to a BAI community grounded in safety, belonging, equity, and creative expression; a “homeplace” where Black joy is cultivated and thrives.

BAI 2021 will be a combination of virtual professional development (Thursdays and Fridays) and in-person trips and experiences (three Fridays). We will continue to update our plans based on city and state COVID safety precautions.

THE FINE PRINT

Interns will work on meaningful projects at their placements, start their Common Application, write their college essay, create a digital portfolio of all of their work, and present their summers to family, friends, supervisors, and community at our culminating event. What does this really look like?

• After four days of virtual Orientation to prepare, students start their internships.
• On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, students are completing their internships. Each worksite will work with its intern to determine if participation during their internship will be in person, virtual or a combination of the two.
• On Thursdays and Fridays, students participate in virtual professional development with the exception of three trips we hope will take place in person (in groups of 6).

Writing Coaches

Writing coaches work collaboratively to build a curriculum that includes in-class writer’s workshops crafted to develop three finished pieces: a bio/cover letter, a resume, and the personal statement used for the college application. Workshops will help to build interns’ writing stamina and teach them the value of revision and persistence. They will be held accountable to finish their work because they will work in groups to provide and receive feedback. Central to the success of the writing component will be the regular writing practice that is required each week. Weekly blog posts create a routine that allows the students to develop writing skills in a safe and imaginative environment.

The ideal coach:

• has experience facilitating writing workshops;
• is proactive, detail-oriented and possesses strong communication, organizational and management skills;
• has the ability and desire to collaborate;
• has an affinity for the nature and value of the internship program and an understanding of the needs and capacities of high school students;
• believes in holding interns to high expectations while individualizing the support to get them there;
• has the ability to create inclusive environments where all students’ unique gifts and talents are discovered and cultivated, and where students’ identities (racial, cultural, social, gender, etc.) are reflected all around them and matter through acknowledgment and affirmation;
• has the ability to examine biases and an understanding of the concepts of institutional and structural racism and its impact on policies and practices, especially related to the administration of public education;
• has a passion for students: an ability to build meaningful relationships and a desire to “go above and beyond” to create homeplaces where Black joy is cultivated and thrives.
• has a commitment to seeing families as partners in education and (communicating with them regularly.)

Please see the full Scope of Work HERE

Interviews for selected applicants will take place on March 25th from 5:00 to 7:00 in the Zoom. Please hold this date!

The Lead Writing Coach is someone who has served as a Writing Coach in the past. They will also be responsible for interviewing potential coaches, supporting the Training/Orientation of fellow coaches, facilitating the creation of the writing workshops with the team, and creating/monitoring the 2021 BAI Blog.

More information can be found on WEBSITE, and you can apply HERE