Tween & Teen Programs


The Museum offers a wide variety of learning activities--from drop-in workshops to multi-week courses--for young people and teens. Some programs are offered in partnership with specific schools and community organizations, while others are open to the public. For more information about the Museum’s tween and teen programs, click on the descriptions below, visit our education program Tumblr, or sign up for our teen programs newsletter.


Teen Digital Media Lab

The Museum hosts regular free design jams for teens. Twice a month on Friday afternoons, teens ages 14 and up are invited to come hang out, get exclusive access to the Museum, and experiment with new tools while solving design challenges. If you're a high school student looking for more info, sign up for our teen programs newsletter to receive updates. Sessions for 2019–2020 are posted here.


Teen Council

Teen Council members collaborate with other NYC teens to help shape the Museum’s teen programs offerings, and take a leadership role in the planning of a large-scale Teen Design Jam at the Museum. Participants learn more about working in an arts and cultural organization, meet museum professionals, and gain real-world experience in event-planning, outreach, and project management. Applications for the 2021 Teen Council are now open.


Future Lab Program

Future Lab programs encourage students at partnering schools and community organizations to express themselves creatively, improve their ability to use technology, and sharpen their critical and analytical skills. In these semester-long courses, most held after-school, students use math and science skills to create animated videos and video games.


Media Camps

Early Registration for 2020 Summer Media Camp will open in February 2020 for members.
Media Camps are a perfect way for children ages 9-13 to explore technology in an exciting, creative, and educational environment. Campers make movies, animations, and video games, working under the guidance of specially trained artists and educators.


Digital Game Design Intensives

Open to high school students, these intensive multi-day courses give participating students the opportunity to spend time at the Museum, experiment with digital and analogue game design, and collaborate with peers. This is an application-based program. Sign up for our teen programs newsletter to receive teen program updates.


Partnerships

The Museum is pleased to offer a variety of informal and out-of-school time learning opportunities for teen and tween audiences in collaboration with the Department of Education and colleague organizations, including:

Teen Thursdays
Launched by Chancellor Carmen Farina, this after-school initiative enables students at public middle schools to take advantage of the rich learning opportunities of local cultural institutions. Participating cultural institutions utilize gallery visits and hands-on workshops to teach American history. The Museum was selected as the first Queens institution to participate in the program.

High School Internships
The Museum offers a small number of internships to high school students who are participating in the Exploring the Arts Apprenticeship Program, NYC Ladders for Leaders, CTE Summer Scholars, and Urban Upbound’s Exploration Program for Internships and Careers.