ARTE LIBRE VA

Arte Libre VA has developed two Youth of Color Paid Internship programs to navigate and overcome the inequity in access to internships: a Youth of Color Summer Internship for high-school age youth, and a Youth of Color Internship that will be a year-round opportunity for young adults out of high school.  Studies have shown that internship opportunities lead to more career opportunities for young adults, as well as higher paying opportunities, and employers consistently use internship experience as a deciding factor between two equally qualified candidates. Young people need high-quality, early work experiences to learn critical skills and begin a career journey. But too often, those experiences come in the form of unpaid internships, creating financial barriers for young workers who can’t afford to offer free labor in exchange for training and professional connections. As a result, too many young people — particularly people of color and those from low-income communities — are left out and left behind.