Regent After School Program
Whitney Museum of American Art

Throughout its history, the Whitney Museum of American Art has championed the artwork of 20th- and 21st-century American artists, connecting their work to the community. The Regent After School Program is a dynamic extension of that mission. In partnership with the Regent Family Residence, a transitional facility for Manhattan's homeless families, the program provides Regent children with a rare opportunity to interact with working artists and to experience the Museum's permanent collection and special exhibitions. This innovative education and mentoring initiative extends the Museum into the community, reaching out to its underserved citizens.

The Regent After School Program builds on the Museum's existing Youth Insights program, an intensive arts training and community service project for 15-20 high school students from around the city. First, Youth Insights trainees receive special instruction in the issues surrounding homelessness. Then they become mentors for the Regent After School Program, helping to foster visual literacy, communication, and reading skills in homeless children.

The Regent After School Program makes use of the Whitney's collection, exhibitions, education staff, participating artists, and teen mentors. Once a week, children participate in inquiry-based tours of the Museum and are encouraged to talk about what they see. Additionally, Museum educators and artists conduct art-making activities with the children, and Youth Insights teens serve as leaders and mentors. These sessions relate thematically to the Museum visits and discussions. The Whitney holds a special exhibition of the participants' artwork each year. At the opening reception, residence families celebrate their children's accomplishments.

Serving 250-300 children annually, the Regent After School Program cultivates self-expression, self-reflection, and self-confidence by developing creative skills. And, by reaching out to some of the most culturally and socially underserved young people in the city and providing them with a safe and supportive environment, the program also strengthens the role of the Museum as a community resource.