now imagine...

You’re sixteen years old, a public high school student with a passion for art and creativity... paid to spend the summer working in a thriving creative design environment side-by-side with professional mentors in one of the city’s best design workplaces... this is YOUTH DESIGN!

Youth Design is a unique summer mentorship program that introduces inner-city high school students to careers in the design profession by providing high quality, paying design jobs in Boston area design firms, agencies, and in-house design departments. The program was founded by Denise Korn and is run in partnership with the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Boston chapter, and Boston’s Private Industry Council (PIC) that organizes the private sector component of Mayor Menino’s Summer Jobs Campaign.

For Boston high school students with a creative interest, these summer jobs open up a new world of opportunity and give them insight, greater skills, and a positive perspective on the possibility of a fulfilling career avenue. Since the program was piloted, we have graduated 59 students, with a high percentage deciding to pursue college-level focus in art and design. This summer we will graduate 28 students, our largest Youth Design class yet! We welcome your interest and support of the program in whatever form that may take!

Youth Design grew out of the realization that the creative sector has an enormous impact on the region’s economy. More than 40% of creative workers identify themselves as involved in some form of design, yet, students, their parents, teachers, even their guidance counselors are unaware of the job opportunities that exist in the design field. YD was formed in order to increase awareness of design as a viable career option and provide opportunities for public high school students who have an interest in art and technology to learn about the design profession as a possible career path.

Youth Design’s commitment to and success providing high-quality, paying design jobs to city teens has raised the profile of Boston’s design community and created a greater public awareness of design and of the essential contributions of designers to daily life.