The purpose of the Center’s Creative Leadership program is to provide opportunities for youth to participate in arts and leadership programs which cover a range of artistic interests—from visual arts and creative writing, to music and film—and leadership areas—e.g., peer leadership, community engagement, outreach, etc. There are both formal and informal opportunities for youth to participate. WYC does measure individual and group growth over the course of the programs through pre- and post-surveys. Participants pursue personal goals in their artistic and leadership development. Groups are typically time-limited and recurring (e.g., annually, quarterly, summer, etc.) and typically run 8 -13 weeks, depending on the group/topic; programs are typically capped at 15-20 participants per cycle.

Program Activities

  • Intro to Filmmaking Program: Participants complete 42 hours of evident informed curriculum in a group setting with 12 – 15 participants per cohort. Application of Evidence-Informed Curriculum (12 hours) VOICES curriculum will be used to engage participants in meaningful conversations; Skills Acquisition- 10 hours learning the Elements and Fundamentals of Filmmaking– participants will learn how to creatively apply those techniques to shine a light on a chosen message to effectively connect the message to their intended audiences; Production- (10 hours) – through the completion of VOICES and Elements and Fundamentals of Filmmaking and their own discussions, a theme will emerge, and participants will collectively decide on the type of media they will concentrate on for their final project; Post-Production- (10 hours) Participants will learn editing and sound, how to storyboard and layer digital sound into their production.  (participants completing this course may be able to do paid internship when they have also completed work readiness).
  • Teen Circle: Teen Circle is offered in conjunction with Sullivan Middle School and is for middle school-aged girls. 15 participants meet two days per week over the course of 10 weeks to gain skills in Enrollment is exclusive to attendees of Sullivan Middle School.  The program uses the VOICES curriculum to address issues such as bullying.
  • The Recording Studio is where members become skilled at recording voice over musical tracks Many of the users of the studio are aspiring and enterprising performers who come to demonstrate their creative lyrical verse. Some earn personal income from distribution of their recorded track, while others do it purely for the enjoyment. At the Center, it is free to members.
  • Dance Studio to participate in activities that embody their creative expression. It is a place where many of them come to unleash their daily anxiety and stress. While much of the dance is self-taught, the quality and commitment is supreme. Many of the older youth help the younger members learn sophisticated, choreographed steps.