BYA Studio Apprentice Program and Youth Gallery

In order to provide creative and entrepreneurial opportunities to youth exiting the juvenile justice system, BYA seeks to expand the Studio Apprentice Program to include a youth-run art gallery and storefront. This initiative will provide youth opportunities to showcase their artwork and gain curatorial and managerial experience.

The Studio Apprentice Program is a transitional employment program focused on youth exiting the juvenile justice system in Baltimore. Youth reentering their communities without clear pathways to education, social services, and employment face a very difficult life change. Creative mentorship programs allow youth the ability to adjust back into their communities and learn skills that can benefit them as adults. BYA seeks to reduce recidivism and unemployment among youth in Baltimore by forming relationships inside juvenile justice facilities, reconnecting with youth when they return to the community, and referring them to resources and opportunities necessary to achieve personal success.

BYA believes that the arts are a path towards social, emotional, and educational development. Our mission is to assist young people in gaining the creative, personal, and educational skills that will enable them to become leaders in their communities. Our program focuses on three areas: 1.) Exposure and access to art making and creative training, 2.) Fostering supportive relationships, and 3.) Building community bridges. Considering the complex needs of youth, and the diverse opportunities that exist around Baltimore, our goal is provide creative, economic, and emotional support to participants while encouraging the interaction between BYA members and the greater community.

Our solution will benefit youth who are impacted by the criminal and juvenile justice system, be they directly involved, or know a family member or friend who is involved. Youth with contact with the juvenile justice system face harsh stigmatization from society, and encounter many barriers along their pathway toward success. Our solution seeks to remove those barriers by providing youth with creative and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Track youth progress via spreadsheet. - At least 5 youth per cohort of 15 gain employment as a result of involvement with program.

Track sales of individual youth artwork via online web sales. - Youth will gain entrepreneurial experience through the sale of their art and design products.

Our solution is innovative because nowhere in Baltimore is there an entirely youth-run gallery and storefront. Like many aspects of society, the art community in Baltimore is heavily segregated, and therefore art institutions are not always readily accessible to young people of color. Our solution aims to provide a safe space for youth to explore their creativity while also gaining valuable professional experience. Youth will gain technological experience through exposure to the Adobe Suite in order to complete their graphic design. These skills can then be translated to other career paths.

We believe that by using the arts as a means of relationship building, youth will be better equipped to explore their own humanity, as well as the humanity of their fellow community members. Exposure to the arts builds empathy and compassion. We believe that providing youth with positive alternatives to involvement with the juvenile justice system can allow them to become leaders in their community, and have a ripple effect on the world around them.

The solution will be deployed by recruiting future cohorts via arts enrichment classes in the various juvenile justice centers in Baltimore. It is affordable and accessible because we do not charge a fee to join our program, and we even provide an hourly wage for hours worked with our program. The solution will also be available to the community at large via our storefront gallery space.

BYA has non-profit status through our fiscal sponsor, Fusion Partnerships. As the organization grows, we aim to eventually acquire non-profit status of our own, so that we can apply directly for grants from governmental bodies, corporations and foundations, as opposed to having to go through our fiscal agent.

I would say that the largest factor limiting our solutions ability to succeed is acquiring long-term funding. In order to provide the type of support the youth in this community need, we need a stable and consistent source of funding.

We are applying to be a solver because we believe in the potential of the youth in Baltimore City. Youth of color in Baltimore City are disproportionately disciplined and incarcerated from a young age, and this has a devastating effect on their self-worth. We believe that exposure to the arts has the ability to allow them to discover their true value and become change agents in their community. We believe that we have the expertise, the expertise and the know-how, and hope to utilize the Solve prize to attain the resources.

Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention

Blaustein Philanthropic Group

Department of Juvenile Services

Department of Recreation and Parks

Family League of Baltimore

Fusion Partnerships

Strong City Baltimore

Baltimore Center for Green Careers

Ace Hardware

Platform Arts Center