Youth Programs

High School Fellowship (HSF)

A free, multi-week summer program for youth who live or go to high school in Manhattan’s Chinatown to build collaboration, leadership, and storytelling skills through arts and neighborhod exploration.

A cartoon-style fish with human arms and wearing glasses, set against a black background. 
HIGH SCHOOL FELLOWSHIP
A person drawing comic book characters on a sketchpad using a black marker. The person is sitting at a wooden table, and the drawing includes a shirtless male figure and a female character. The person has dark hair and is wearing a black sleeveless top.

Fellows explore different artistic mediums and learn new art-making skills. They work with guest teaching artists to learn about socially engaged art and create their own final projects.

Art-making and storytelling

Four young people standing on a sidewalk, with a woman in a white skirt and sunglasses speaking while the others listen; one person is taking a photo, another wears a gray hoodie, and the fourth is in a black tank top and jeans. They are outdoors, with trees, a grassy area, and apartment buildings in the background.

Fellows deepen their understanding of Chinatown as a neighborhood through learning about land history, gentrification, and immigration history. Discussions and art-making help fellows share about their relationships to living and being students in New York City.

Learning about local history and culture

Women at an Asian-themed market or event, with one woman speaking into a microphone and another woman smiling nearby. The table in front has strawberries, fried food, and signs, with shelves in the background holding decorative Asian items.

Fellows collaboratively plan and prepare for a showcase synthesizing the ideas and concepts they’ve been learning about over the past 2 weeks. Fellows choose decor, plan food and music, and work on art projects (including zines, portraits, and individual pieces) to share at a celebratory event for family, friends, and community members.

Planning a final showcase

Past fellowships

  • Group of women working on creative projects at a table in a well-lit room, with art supplies and drawings.

    2025: Arts, Craft, and Urban Studies

    This 3-week fellowship ran in July 2025.

    Learn More

  • 2025’s high school fellowship was open to rising 10th and 11th graders who live or go to high school in Manhattan’s Chinatown. 2026’s application criteria will be shared in spring 2026.

  • High schoolers fill out a short written application online; some applicants will move on to a virtual video interview with program staff.

  • Stay tuned for more info! We’ll be sharing the 2026 application in spring 2026.

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