Become a Teen Docent!

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art’s Teen Docent Program serves New Orleans area public school students with the goal of increasing their exposure to the arts, developing leadership and critical thinking skills, and empowering youth to be role models and share their talents with their community. The program was one of 12 programs selected for the 2015 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, the nation’s highest honor for out-of-school arts and humanities programs that celebrate the creativity of America’s young people, particularly those from underserved communities.

An Ogden Museum Teen Docent will learn to lead tours of the museum, serve as counselors for Ogden Museum summer camps, and participate in an outreach program aimed at bringing art to children who are not able to visit the museum. Through encounters with artist, workshops, and visits to other cultural institutions, Teen Docents will also broaden their knowledge of the arts and related career fields. This program provides teens with a safe, creative environment for out-of-school hours, resume-quality job experience, and a stipend, while the Museum gains the benefit of formally trained summer programming assistants.


Goals of the program

  • To develop Teen Docents’ leadership, critical thinking, and job skills
  • To increase Teen Docents’ exposure to the arts and related careers
  • To empower Teen Docents to become role models and share their talents with their community

All participants are expected to treat the museum staff, artists, members, and patrons with respect, conduct themselves appropriately and professionally, and uphold the values and mission of the Ogden Museum.

An Ogden Museum Teen Docent will receive a stipend at the end of the summer ($1,000.00) and stipend for each Saturday session during the school year ($50.00 per session).

Qualifications

The applicant must be

  • a student in an Orleans or Jefferson Parish public school
  • a student currently in the ninth, tenth, or eleventh grade
  • a student interested in the arts, education, and/or working with children

Time Requirements

Summer schedule:
Monday, June 1 – Friday, July 24, 2020 from 8:30 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.

Fall/Spring year schedule:
Teen Docents will meet one Saturday a month (September – May) from 10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M.

Participants are required to attend all sessions.


Application Procedures

  • Applications open on Saturday, February 1, 2020
  • Applications are due by Monday, April 13, 2020
  • Interviews will take place Thursday, April 16, Monday, April 20 and Wednesday, April 22 from 4 – 7 p.m.
  • Notification of acceptance will take place by Friday, May 1, 2020
Download Application

Please mail or email completed applications to:
Ellen Balkin, Education Manager
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
925 Camp Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
ebalkin@ogdenmuseum.org

 

Selection

The Education Department will review all applications. Candidates for interviews will be notified by e-mail. Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.


This program is supported in part by funding from the Daybrook Foundation, Eugenie & Joseph Jones Family Foundation, Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, The Helis Foundation, MaggieGeorge Foundation, RosaMary Foundation, and the Goldring Family Foundation. This project is also supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award is the nation’s highest honor for out-of-school arts and humanities programs that celebrate the creativity of America’s young people, particularly those from underserved communities. This award recognizes and supports excellence in programs that open new pathways to learning, self-discovery, and achievement. Each year, the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards recognize 12 outstanding programs in the United States, from a wide range of urban and rural settings. The National Arts & Humanities Youth Program Awards is an initiative of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH). The President’s Committee partners with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to administer the program.