Giving Back To The Future

Youth Design Boston (YDB) provides high quality, paying design internships for Boston high school students.

YDB enables students to hone their design skills by applying classroom learning in the workplace.

YDB connects highly-motivated kids with professional design mentors, presenting design as a viable career choice while promoting the impact design has in the world around us.

BACKGROUND
Youth Design Boston is a living example of AIGA's commitment to the community and our youth. Since it was piloted in 2003, 35 students have graduated through the program. Its success story is exemplified in a high rate of students that go on to pursue college-level focus in art and design; one student even progressed from his internship into an ongoing paid position with his mentoring firm. Through Youth Design Boston, these high school students are immersed in creative workplaces, and begin to create inroads toward long-term careers in design. YDB builds community and business awareness of the value of design by introducing the design profession to local public school's curriculums as a viable educational and career option for students.

A documentary of the program is available on DVD  – showcasing students, mentors, and our program partners. To get involved, or to view the documentary, contact us at info@boston.aiga.org.

DONATE. WE NEED YOU!
The number of talented youth attracted to, and deserving of participating in this program is three times larger than the number of jobs that we can make aviailbale. Our goal is to grow the program to 25 students in Boston every summer, as well as spread the program nationally to cities all around the country. Some of this could be accomplished through connections to corporate design departments that will sponsor an intern. We rely on sponsorship dollars to fund the rest. Consider funding a student's wages, gather some friends to collectively fund a student or contribute to the program so that we can expand our programming and staffing and reach more kids. If you or your company would like to make a tax-deductible donation or get involved as a host studio let us know.

VOLUNTEER
There are a variety of opportunities to participate in, big and small. Work directly with our YDB students, with our partner schools, or collaborate with the AIGA mentoring firms. Contact us now to find out more.

MENTOR
If your design studio or corporate design department is interested in hosting a student for the summer, let us know! or click here to download our 2009 Youth Design Fact Sheet to learn what's involved and how your firm can participate. You can read about the mentor experience in this Boston Globe article, and get an inside look at the day-to-day with an intern. View show.

TO GET INVOLVED, or to view the documentary, please contact us at info@boston.aiga.org.