Cultural Alliance Launches Teen Arts & Culture Internship Program with WorkReady, Bloomberg Philanthropies

May 28, Philadelphia, PA -- Today during STAMP (Students at Museums in Philly) on the Parkway, a blockbuster event for Philadelphia teens presented by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy announced a landmark new program for teen workforce development. Chief Cultural Officer Helen Haynes delivered the news that in partnership with the WorkReady summer internship program, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance has received a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to connect 25 rising juniors with summer job opportunities at 16 arts and culture institutions.

 

“After nearly three years of managing STAMP and hosting our own WorkReady summer interns, this is a tremendous opportunity for the Cultural Alliance to expand our offerings for Philly teens,” said Maud Lyon, President of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. “These internship opportunities will give the city’s young people a chance to learn about the myriad viable careers in the arts, and it also serves some of the long-term needs of the arts and culture sector. We see diversifying the cultural workforce as an integral part of diversifying our audiences.”

 

While STAMP teens and WorkReady applicants have had the opportunity to apply for summer job opportunities for a few weeks, the City’s announcement today marked the official public announcement of the initiative and of the grant the Cultural Alliance has received from Bloomberg Philanthropies to fund the program. The 25 young people chosen for summer jobs opportunities at cultural institutions will be announced in early June.

 

“Encouraging Philadelphia businesses to create high school student internship opportunities has long been a priority for my administration, and the City has been proud to support WorkReady with workforce development funding for many years,” said Mayor Michael Nutter. “Philadelphia’s arts and culture institutions are a huge part of the economy and business community here, so it makes perfect sense that we should connect the next generation with opportunities to join this workforce.”

 

The 16 arts and culture institutions that will host interns this summer are:

 

Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

African American Museum in Philadelphia

Arden Theatre Company

The Franklin Institute

Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance

Institute of Contemporary Art

The Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia

National Constitution Center

National Liberty Museum

National Museum of American Jewish History

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Philadelphia Young Playwrights

Philadelphia Zoo

Taller Puertorriqueno, Inc.

Walnut Street Theatre

 

In addition to all of the benefits of participating in WorkReady, which include hourly pay and weekly professional development sessions, the 25 teens chosen for the program will have unique opportunities created just for them. These include field trips to all 16 institutions to learn about the different careers each has to offer; college mentoring from Masters candidates in Drexel University’s Arts Administration program; and arts-specific professional development sessions with special guests from other cultural organizations, such as Mighty Writers and First Person Arts.

 

“Introducing young people to the incredible arts and culture that Philadelphia has to offer is important to discovering their own individuality and interests outside a traditional classroom setting,” said Chekemma Fulmore-Townsend, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Youth Network, which manages WorkReady Philadelphia. “Partnering with STAMP is just one of the several avenues and access points that youth can take advantage of on their journey to academic achievement, economic opportunity and personal success.”

 

For more information on this initiative, including opportunities to interview participating teens this summer, please contact Alison Zeidman at alisonz@philaculture.org<mailto:alisonz@philaculture.org> or 215-805-5737.

 

STAMP is a community engagement initiative from the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, and the STAMP Pass is available at no charge to teens ages 14-19 who live in the City of Philadelphia. Teens who are new to the program can sign up for a STAMP Pass at www.phillySTAMPpass.org<http://www.phillystamppass.org>.

 

Participating STAMP museums and cultural institutions:

 

African American Museum in Philadelphia

Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

Barnes Foundation

Eastern State Penitentiary

Fabric Workshop and Museum

The Franklin Institute

Institute of Contemporary Art

Mutter Museum

National Constitution Center

National Museum of American Jewish History

Penn Museum

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Philadelphia History Museum

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Philadelphia Zoo

 

STAMP is made possible by a leadership gift from Virginia and Harvey Kimmel. Additional support is provided by the Hess Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Lomax Family Foundation, The Philadelphia Foundation, Victory Foundation, Wells Fargo, Wyncote Foundation and 25th Century Foundation.

 

Established in 1972, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is the region’s leading arts and cultural advocacy, research and marketing organization. Our mission is to “lead, strengthen and give voice to a diverse cultural sector that is making Philadelphia a world-class region to live, work, and play.”  Our membership includes over 400 organizations ranging from museums and dance companies to community art centers, historic sites, music ensembles and zoos. Our members, as well as the cultural community as a whole, count on the Alliance for signature research reports on the health and growth of the sector; grantmaking in partnership with the Pennsylvania Council on the arts; robust professional development and membership services; marketing and audience development through our signature consumer marketing programs, Phillyfunguide.com and Funsavers; and leadership in policy and community engagement through our GroundSwell advocacy initiative and STAMP teen program. For more information on the Cultural Alliance, please visit www.philaculture.org<http://www.philaculture.org>.