When Sue Scott learned about the Youth Employment in the Arts (YEA) program, she saw a win-win in the making.
“We’re always trying to encourage younger people to use the museum,” says the director of the Western Illinois Museum (WIM) in Macomb. Plus, in rural Illinois, job opportunities can be slim, and history can seem distant. “We were really eager to give them a meaningful experience where they could feel like they have some agency over the history that’s collected.”
Supported by the Illinois Arts Council, the YEA program aims to reach both goals: pay young people to do meaningful work, while introducing them to an industry that needs their insight.
“There is money and careers to be made in the arts,” says John Gawlik, a Program Director with the Illinois Arts Council.
SUE SCOTT, DIRECTOR, WESTERN ILLINOIS MUSEUM“I am constantly surprised by what [young employees] find compelling. They teach me what their entry points are into local history.”
Recent updates to the program have sparked new potential. Once designed to provide summer jobs for high schoolers, it now supports work year-round for youth aged 14-22, with grants of up to $4,500.
These grants have been “hugely beneficial” not just to youth, says Gawlik, but also to arts organizations.
For museums like WIM, there has been much discussion nationwide about the importance of attracting young visitors by centering their interests and needs. Having young employees provides immediate answers.
“I am constantly surprised by what they find compelling,” Scott says. “They teach me what their entry points are into local history.”
A notable example? The Sword.
“They would invite their friends to come and see the Sword,” says Scott, referring to a Civil War-era parade sword in the museum’s collection. So she trained them to handle it and explain its significance to their peers.
Another youth employee, college student Carter Myers, began working the front desk, but “the next thing I knew, he was giving tours,” says Scott. He even drafted self-guided tours based on historical icons and events. Now, he and Scott are developing focus groups to learn what students think is missing from museum programming.
“This has broadened my expectations about things they could do, and the ways they could do it,” says Scott. “Even if they don’t end up in this sector…we’re showing them the importance the arts and humanities have in their life.”
Other YEA grantees stress this same message.
“Art is life, and through it, our youth learn self-sufficiency and accountability,” says Salah Wilson, founder of Harambee International Inc. in East St. Louis. Their recent YEA grant allowed them to expand their summer camp for teens in public housing. Campers showcased and sold their art, helping them with everything from earning money for school supplies to processing grief from a recent loss.
“This grant is a crucial step toward enriching their lives and communities,” says Wilson.
Scott has seen this enrichment blossom at her museum, too. Recalling how young employees inspire their friends to visit, she remembers one student with learning disabilities whose friends came multiple times, citing the welcome they felt at the museum that was rare elsewhere.
“I think this program gives a place,” she says. And in return, “they help us fulfill our mission.”