Category: Opportunities

Opportunities for students.

NYC Votes Youth Ambassador Program

New Yorkers ages 14-18 who are passionate about civic engagement, voting, and democracy can apply to join the 2022 NYC Votes Youth Ambassador team! This paid opportunity will run from May-August, with an option to stay on through November 2022. Ambassadors will earn up to $175 per month for 10-15 hours of work. For the time being, this opportunity will be entirely remote, with a possibility for 2 days/week in person programming during the summer months. As we continue to face a global pandemic, the integrity and accessibility of our elections are at stake. Now more than ever we must work together to educate and mobilize our communities about the importance of civic engagement–especially at the local level.

NYC Votes Youth Ambassadors are a community of young people who care about our city and our democracy. Ambassadors will be expected to complete weekly tasks, long-term projects, and engage in regular meetings. The Ambassadors will be trained to become the next generation of community leaders in New York City. Participating in the program provides not only an opportunity to work alongside a city agency and learn more about voting and local government, but also to develop leadership, public speaking, and community organizing skills. Participants should be available from 5-7pm on Wednesdays for virtual team meetings, as well as 9-5pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays during the summer months for potential in-person programming.

Get more info and apply. The deadline to apply is Friday, Feb. 25th at 5:00pm.

Hear Me! Monologue Showcase

Students currently living and attending high school in New York City, grades 9-12, are eligible to audition for the Hear Me! Monologue Showcase. There is no cost to apply or participate.

Students will submit a video audition performing a monologue of 2.5 minutes or longer written by an American playwright (or Shakespeare). Students may select any monologue they prefer, regardless of gender.

The application deadline is Friday, March 11th. Get more info about the showcase and apply.

2022 Keen Teens Auditions

Keen Teens is a free production and performance opportunity for high school students interested in theater! Working with professional playwrights, directors, designers and technicians, students will perform in the world premiere production of three new short plays written exclusively for Keen Teens by C. Quintana (AZUL at Diversionary Theatre & SCISSORING at INTAR Theatre), Bleu Beckford-Burell (2021 Page 73 Playwriting Fellow), and Stephanie Swirsky. The plays are then published by Concord Theatricals and made available to be performed in high schools across the country.

Students who are cast will rehearse once a week, after school, beginning February 14th, plus three weekend rehearsals in late April/early May. The plays will be performed at The Lion Theatre at Theatre Row for five performances in mid-May.

You can find out more info about the program and create your audition. For anyone who’s not an actor and is interested in directing, tech (lights/sound), design (scenic/costume), stage management, or producing, students have the opportunity to assist members of Keen Teens’ production team — please email keenteens@keencompany.org to set up an interview.

CreateHER Applications

Applications are now open for the spring session of CreateHER, a free program for girl-identifying and non-binary high school students interested in writing and producing for theatre.

Through this program, students are given the technical and creative tools to take their ideas from page to reality. CreateHER provides high-level playwriting and producing courses and features guest speakers who are leaders in the theatre industry: from producers and general managers, to groundbreaking playwrights, dramaturgs, and marketing directors. By the end of the semester, all students write, produce, and present a short play of their own, which will be presented on May 22nd.

Classes are held on Sundays from 9:30am-12:00 PM, beginning February 6th. Applications are open through January 22nd. To apply, visit the CreateHER Web site.

Free Summer Arts Program

Summer Arts Institute (SAI) is accepting applications for their free, in-person, 4-week arts program held at The Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens. The program, for intermediate and advanced level students, offers majors in film, dance, concert band, orchestral strings, theater, visual arts, and vocal music, and is open to current 7-11 grade students.

Applications are due by February 6, and virtual auditions are due by February 25 (in-person call backs April 2–3). You can watch a video about the program and fill out the application form. For more information email summerarts@schools.nyc.gov

Mind the Gap

Mind the Gap is a free, intergenerational theatre program in which elders [ages 60+] and youth [ages 14-19] interview each other and write or devise short plays inspired by their personal stories. Mind the Gap’s primary goal is to use theatre as a creative tool to increase empathy and communication between generations. No theatre experience is required to participate in the program.
Visit their Web site for more information.

Playwriting Fellowship

The NYC Public School Playwriting Fellowship at the Lucile Lortel Theatre is an outstanding opportunity for high school students.

Here is the link: https://www.lortel.org/hspf

The contest focuses on the next generation of diverse playwrights with something to say by supporting student creative writing in the parameters of a ten-minute one-act play.  

If you’d like to see last year’s presentation, visit the Lucille Lortel Theatre’s YouTube channel by clicking HERE.

WHO: Seven playwright Fellows–one student from each borough as well as one high school student each from our D75 and D79 high schools— are chosen. In addition to these seven Fellows, honorable mention students of merit will be announced as Finalists.

WHAT: Select Fellows are mentored by professional playwrights and directors as their plays receive a staged reading or online presentation by professional actors in June 2022. Fellows get access to NYC professional playwrights for mentoring and receive other benefits including having their play published in a Fellows anthology and a certificate of recognition. 

HOW: The FREE program provides two months for students to write and submit their plays. Select Fellows then will have another two months of play development, culminating with a performance of Fellows’ one acts in June 2022.

WHEN: Plays should be submitted by the January 24, 2022 deadline. Culminating event is in June 2022.

Questions?: Please address all questions to Jeffrey Shubart at HSPF@lortel.org.

Engage with Roundabout

Now that theatres are opening back up, Roundabout Theatre is providing many opportunities for students to re-engage with live theatre!

An online article published in the American Theatre magazine details the Roundabout Youth Ensemble’s performance of Fractured this past summer.

If technical theatre is of interest to anyone, Roundabout offers the Theatrical Workforce Development Program — a three-year paid training program for multiple disciplines of technical theatre. Fellows from Cohort 4 are now working at our Employment Partners including The Music Man on Broadway, The Public, Signature Theatre, Second Stage, and many more.

Roundabout also offers many ways to engage with the plays in its season, from Upstage Playgoer’s Guides to various post-show lectures and talks.

Free Leadership Academy

PowerPlay NYC advances the lives of girls through sports, helping them grow physically, emotionally and academically stronger.

The SuperSTARS Leadership Academy is a high-impact, year-long, FREE leadership development program that prepares high school young women in NYC for college and the workforce through a structured, girl-centered approach focused on three key areas: sports/physical fitness, college access, and career/life skills development. 

The Academy kicks off with a six-week intensive summer session where girls participate in a variety of sports, develop workplace and life skills and learn about the college process. During the school year, girls gain access to activities to build their life and leadership skills through attending monthly workshops. Our other school year commitments include the opportunity to grow as mentors and leaders by participating in our peer coach program working with our younger after-school participants or to benefit from having a mentor who will help guide them in areas of networking, resume building, college application requirements, and more. 

We’re looking to accept students that will be entering 9th to 12th grade in the Fall of 2021. 

Summer Program Dates: July 6-August 13, 2021
Time: M-Th 9am-4pm, F 9am-1pm

Program will be hybrid with some sessions will be in person and others virtual. In person sessions will follow current local guidelines for safety. 
School Year Dates: September 2021-June 2022 

Monthly after school workshops
Please apply here

Manhattan Film Institute

This summer the Manhattan Film Institute is back and stronger than ever. They are a boutique summer filmmaking conservatory which creates 25 short films in two weeks. 

They only take 12 high school students in this competitive program and who will work side-by-side with industry professionals making films with 40 additional actors and directors, many of whom are experienced in the industry.

This year’s summer program dates are July 11th – 25th, 2021.

Learn more about our program and apply.

*This year they are offering two full directing scholarships to students of Asian descent. These scholarships were donated to help raise the visibility of Asian voices and stories in film.