Navigating the Bloomberg Arts Internship: A Comprehensive Guide

The Bloomberg Arts Internship (BAI) program stands as a beacon of opportunity for budding young talents eager to immerse themselves in the vibrant world of arts and culture. This comprehensive guide delves into the intricacies of the BAI program, providing insights into its structure, requirements, and the myriad benefits it offers to aspiring high school students.

Introduction to the Bloomberg Arts Internship

The Bloomberg Arts Internship (BAI) program is designed to provide rising high school seniors in select cities with invaluable work experience at cultural institutions. This paid internship, typically lasting seven weeks during the summer, not only introduces students to the professional arts and culture sector but also equips them with essential work-readiness and college-preparation skills. Since its inception in 2012, the program has facilitated over 2,250 paid internships at more than 250 cultural organizations, fostering an active alumni network and solidifying its position as one of the largest programs offering paid cultural sector internships for high school students in the United States.

Program Overview

The Bloomberg Arts Internship (BAI) program operates in multiple cities, including Baltimore, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and New Orleans. The program connects select public high school students with paid internships at local cultural institutions, helping them develop valuable skills. The program also offers work-readiness and college-preparation training. Individual program terms and application processes may vary slightly by location, but interns are generally expected to work between 30 to 37 hours per week from mid-June to mid-August.

Eligibility and Application Requirements

The Bloomberg Arts Internship (BAI) program primarily targets rising high school seniors. The application process involves several key components designed to assess the applicant's suitability for the program.

Application Prompts

The application includes four writing prompts, each designed to provide insight into the applicant's personality, experiences, and aspirations. These prompts include:

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Why do you want to participate in the Bloomberg Arts Internship? What are you hoping to get out of this program? This prompt encourages applicants to articulate their motivations for joining the program and their expectations for personal and professional growth.
Thinking back on your own experiences, please tell us about a significant or memorable encounter you had with an artwork, book, performance, or other arts experience. This prompt seeks to understand the applicant's appreciation for the arts and their ability to connect with creative works on a personal level. Note that this does not have to have been a formal or ticketed experience--it could be listening to a choir, looking at a mural on the street, or reading to a sibling.
Collaboration can be essential to success, creatively and professionally. Describe a time when you had to collaborate with a group on a school or art-related project. What challenges did you face? What did you learn as a result of that collaboration? This prompt assesses the applicant's ability to work effectively in a team, navigate challenges, and learn from collaborative experiences.
What are your plans after high school? If you have thoughts about a possible career direction, please share those as well. This prompt aims to understand the applicant's future aspirations and how the internship aligns with their long-term goals.

Artistic Work Sample

Applicants have the option to submit a sample of their artistic or creative work. Examples could include photos, paintings, poems, fiction or nonfiction, poetry, animations, videos, songs, etc. While welcomed, submitting an artistic work sample is not a requirement and does not increase the likelihood of being invited to an interview.

References

Applicants are required to provide the names and contact information of individuals who can serve as references. These references should be able to speak to the applicant's creative and academic skills. It is important to obtain permission from the references before providing their information. Note that parents/guardians cannot be references.

Skills and Interests Assessment

The application includes sections where applicants rank their skill and interest levels across various areas related to workplace, technical, and artistic skills. It's important to note that your responses do not impact your acceptance into the program. Similarly, a section inquires about access to digital tools, transportation, and comfortability with an in-person or hybrid internship. Your responses DO NOT impact your acceptance into the program. If you do not have access to any digital tool, it will be provided for you.

Benefits of the Bloomberg Arts Internship

Participating in the Bloomberg Arts Internship offers numerous benefits, providing interns with a unique opportunity to gain valuable experience and develop essential skills.

Work Experience

Interns gain hands-on work experience at select cultural institutions, immersing themselves in the day-to-day operations of these organizations. Worksites include art and history museums, performing arts organizations, music venues, historical sites, community arts projects, and much more.

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Skill Development

The program focuses on developing both work-readiness and college-preparation skills. Interns learn how to navigate the professional environment, collaborate with colleagues, and manage their time effectively.

Exposure to the Arts and Culture Sector

The internship provides interns with exposure to the arts and culture sector, fostering an appreciation for the role of these institutions in the community. Interns also participate in supplementary activities in their city designed to provide meaningful workforce experience, develop knowledge of the creative sector as a career path, encourage awareness of culture as a civic resource, and prepare to apply to and transition into college.

Networking Opportunities

Interns have the opportunity to network with professionals in the arts and culture sector, building connections that can benefit them in their future careers. The program also maintains an active alumni network, providing ongoing support and networking opportunities for past participants.

Paid Internship

The Bloomberg Arts Internship is a paid opportunity, providing interns with financial compensation for their work. This allows students from diverse backgrounds to participate in the program without financial burden.

Opportunities for Worksite Organizations

The Bloomberg Arts Internship program also offers opportunities for non-profit arts and culture organizations to participate as worksites. Worksites have the opportunity to engage with eager students with the support of BAI staff and receive a generous stipend for their participation.

Alumni Opportunities

Select alumni of the summer program also participate in internships at cultural institutions during their senior year in high school and in a summer internship during college, further developing professional skills to prepare them for a career after graduation.

Preparing for the Application

To prepare for the Bloomberg Arts Internship application, it is helpful to review the application guide, which provides insights into the application prompts and requirements. The guide has been created to help you prepare to complete the 2022 Bloomberg Arts Internship application. Many of the most important application prompts, including the essay questions, are available in the guide. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with interviews to be held in April.

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