By Melanie Steen

St. Louis ArtWorks is a year-round job training program for teens between the ages of 14 and 19. While creativity is a key component, the program is so much more than expressing oneself through the arts. They learn life skills on Fridays, which are an important part of the program.

“We’re totally trying to set them up for success,” says Executive Director Jacqueline Dace. “That’s the day that we bring in speakers, they talk to them about financial literacy, health and wellness, other art opportunities.”

The six-week summer arts program is now underway. But today, the young apprentices have put their art on pause.

“Today, of course, we had resume writing and career development,” says Jacqueline Dace. “And so, we have various speakers that the kids sometimes, in most instances would not have access to.”

“We covered personal branding, how you’re a brand, understanding your strengths and your areas of opportunity,” says Fran Henderson with Henderson Consulting. “What do you do well, how you can present yourself. We also talked about the resume.”

Some of the older students are already well aware of the importance of a resume. This includes 19-year-old apprentice Noah Bourke, who’s hoping to one day open his own graphic design firm.

“This past year, I was at college and I completed two semesters, studying visual design,” says Bourke. “My plan is to go to school next year after taking a year to develop my art skills and connections, and just networking and stuff.”

“Last year, I was in the painting group,” says apprentice David King. “And this year I’m in the videography group, so I’m trying to learn more about videos and how to edit them.”

Each apprentice receives a bi-weekly stipend, payable by direct deposit. Which means they must have a bank account to get paid. Financial literacy is also one of the life skills they’re learning about.

“We learned how to save up money and how to stop spending money on stuff you don’t need,” says apprentice David King. “So, we worked on our needs and wants and how to manage our money better.”

Each one of the teens has a unique vision about what their life will look like after high school, or college. For the most part, they want a career that allows them to be creative.

“I’m going to college, I don’t know what type of college but I want to do dancing,” says apprentice Rashad Laurel. “I want to try and work on my dancing and try and go for Broadway, I wanna be on Broadway.”

“Either doing real estate, becoming a psychiatrist or probably law,” says apprentice Destiny Evans. “I kind of want to do it all, so I’m going to have to study a lot. My two schools I picked out are Syracuse University, which is in New York. And my second school is BYU, in Idaho.”

“You don’t have to have it figured out,” says Fran Henderson. “Not knowing is actually okay, because you’re never going to stop learning. What you might do and your major in college that you start with, might not be what you finish with. So, whatever you align with, your passion, your purpose, that could change.”

It’s a competitive process to be accepted into the program. It involves applying, a letter of reference, and a portfolio. They also have to undergo the interview process with employees, teaching artists and board members. For those who do not have a portfolio, the program now offers a way for them to still get their foot in door.

“What we started was basic art, art foundations,” says Jacqueline Dace. “And so, we have a class that’s dedicated to the foundations of art. And so, we teach them the art basics 101 and then they’re able to graduate into other classes and into other areas.”

As with many nonprofits, St. Louis ArtWorks is working their way back to full capacity. The program saw a drop off in attendance during and after the pandemic. But they’ve got 81 students enrolled this summer, which is something they haven’t seen in years. About half of them are from St. Louis city. The rest come from St. Louis county and surrounding areas.

“This summer, we have an amazing crew of kids,” says Jacqueline Dace. “They’re introspective, they’re asking questions, they’re being involved, they’re making connections. It just feels good to be in a room filled with kids and teenagers in the City of St. Louis that are involved in something positive and the energy, you can actually feel it.”