Ensuring Continued Growth Through Creative Youth Development Practices

By Shanelle Villegas

Since its inception, Bloomberg Arts Internship - Boston honors the practice of Creative Youth Development (CYD)  by fostering a nurturing, arts-based environment and community where young people can develop and thrive. 

Defined by the Mass Cultural Council, CYD is “an intentional process that helps young people build attributes and skills needed to participate successfully in adolescence and adult life.” 

At the end of Summer 2024, many BAI interns noted how much they’ve grown in such a short period of time, how they wished the program could be extended, and even how they plan to return to the program as alumni. As experienced staff members, we know that leaving an environment of such positive growth and dedicated care can be challenging for young people. As a continuation of the program’s CYD practices, Program Assistants Shanelle Villegas and Corinne Nichols decided to create a parting gift for the interns so that even when they have to leave the program, its nurturing doesn’t have to leave them. 

This parting gift was titled, “The BAI Boston Wellness Zine” with cover art created by fellow Program Assistant and BAI alumni, Olive Keyes. The zines’ purpose was to pass on these resources to interns for their continued development and well-being post-program. It’s a compilation of references that staff have used as guides throughout their adulthoods. Divided into four sections: Creative Wellness, Personal Wellness, Physical Wellness, and Financial Wellness - this zine is a testament to the positive relationships formed throughout Summer 2024. 

Processing Anger and Building Empathy

Over the Summer of 2024, many interns verbalized how they struggle with the emotion of anger and desire to become a more internally peaceful person. There were few opportunities to further examine that emotion within the program, so we wanted to provide them with a resource and a container to delve deeper into that emotion in their own time. Titled, “The Anger Volcano” this infographic asks those to become aware of the micro and macro causes of their anger, to explore the arc of their anger, and to consider what is needed in recovery and restoration of angry outbursts. This infographic relates to CYD by having interns not only examine their own process of and context for anger but also to examine others and such empathy, over time, can deepen positive relationships fostered with adults and peers.

Reinforcing Positive Affirmations

Executive Coach Muadi Dibinga, in her “Get Your Mind Right” session discussed with interns the power of daily ritual and practicing affirmations in order to develop a healthy mind. In this zine, we decided to reinforce Muadi’s teachings on affirmations by providing interns with a list of creative affirmations (see below). With us being artists ourselves, we understand the specific roadblocks in choosing a career in the creative sector and how, with those challenges, come a lot of mental doubt. We believe, however, that in order to combat negative self-talk and societal views, interns desiring a creative path must affirm the positive traits that are inherent to their being. As part of our CYD approach, providing interns, who are at a pivotal stage in their mental development, with an affirmation list will help them begin to uncover, identify and reinforce their pre-existing strengths, talents and skills for healthy mental development. 

• I connect to myself and others through my creative endeavors.
• I am proud of my natural talents.
• I am full of creative potential. 
• Artistic energy flows through me at all times.
• I will open myself to experimentation.
• I am resilient in my creative pursuits and will not give up on myself.
• I value myself as a creative.
• I will focus on my very next move, not the finish line. 
• What is for me will not pass by me. 
• Everything I dream of will come true.

Our hope for BAI Boston’s future remains the same: to continue being a place that practices CYD through its collaboration with thoughtful partners and staff, its creation of supportive environments where interns can take risks and grow, and its centering and celebration of young people who will change our current world. We hope BAI staff continue this ritual of passing on helpful resources to interns and that interns continue being positive representations of themselves and the program as they grow. Watch out world! 

Shanelle Villegas is a Boston-based theatre artist and a Program Assistant for BAI 2024 and BAI 2023.