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Third Summer of Mayor's Creative Youth Corps Currently Underway

Summer Internship Lays the Foundation for Local Arts Based Leadership Opportunities.

June 2, 2022 - Twenty-three high school juniors, seniors, and recent graduates have been selected for the 2022 Mayor's Creative Youth Corps, a professional development, six-week paid summer internship program for youth interested in arts based leadership opportunities. This is the third year Mayor Tim Keller and the City of Albuquerque Department of Arts & Culture has invested in internship and career exploration opportunities for Albuquerque's youth.

Each participant will be assigned to a different host site and work closely with a mentor or a team of mentors to develop skills in the creative sector. Projects could range from designing and printing original t-shirts; supporting summer programming for young children; painting murals; creating and editing videos; and planning for festivals and events across Albuquerque.

"Each summer we proudly invest time, expertise, and opportunity into local creative youth by offering paid internships that provide professional development and skills to build their resumes and references as they start working towards a career," explains Arts & Culture Director Dr. Shelle Sanchez. "Although we hope they pursue careers in arts, culture, or public service, MCYC also teaches them to integrate creativity into a variety of professional settings and projects.”

"We want young creatives who are interested in artistic and cultural work to know that their talents are wanted right here in our city," said Mayor Keller. "Pairing each participant with a host site will offer a real-life opportunity to learn about the variety of art-based leadership opportunities that exist in our community."

Participants include: Alex Arguello; Anaya Gonzalez; Camryn Wharff; Dahlia Jarjusey; Delano Shank; Emily Baron; Enrique Rael; Gabriel Baca; Gabriela Pérez; Gabriella Sedillo; Spencer Westphal; Ian Yazzie; Kalyn Flores; Miriam Reichsfeld; Ramona Vigil; Rylie “Iris” Gonzales; Sarita Gonzalez; Sophia Varoz; Sophie Anderson-Haynie; Teresa Romero; Trinti Baldonado; Wendy Escobar; and Xmucane Rowendolas.

Participants represent: Public Academy for the Performing Arts; Amy Biehl High School; Albuquerque High School; New Mexico Academy for Media Arts; Bosque School; Cottonwood Classical Preparatory; West Mesa High School; La Cueva High School; Rio Grande High School; New Mexico School For The Arts (Santa Fe); Public Academy for Performing Arts; Atrisco Heritage Academy High School; and Del Norte High School.

Partner organizations include: Various City of Albuquerque departments; Albuquerque Museum; Public Art; Explora; Flamenco Works; Fourteenfifteen Gallery; FUSION; National Institute of Flamenco; T-Shirt Lab; The Children's Hour; Three Sister's Kitchen; Together 4 Brothers; and Working Classroom.