Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education

Nurturing Leaders Program

The Nurturing Leaders Program is an internship and career development program for adolescent and young adult participants at the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education (BIAAE). This program provides selected participants from the BIAAE with:

paid internships at the BIAAE;
career readiness classes; and
mentoring.

Paid internships are one–two hour weekly jobs that participants will participate in during the Saturday arts programs. In their internships, Nurturing Leaders Program participants will put into practice the skills they develop in their career readiness classes. Each intern will be assigned a supervisor and given one of three roles: greeter, administrative assistant, or teaching assistant/assistant director. Internships will begin in the spring 2022 semester.

Career readiness classes are biweekly, hour-long sessions focused on building and expanding important work and collaborative skills. The fall 2021 sessions focus on professional, soft, and self-advocacy skills. Classes are taught by BIAAE staff and held online. Participants also get the opportunity to lead self-care activities and engage in whole group discussions.

Mentoring is an important support component of the Nurturing Leaders Program. Participants are paired with a mentor (a BIAAE instructor they are familiar with) who provides support for their mentee. Mentors and mentees meet for approximately 30 minutes at a time, based on a schedule that works for both of them. Mentors guide their mentee when they are seeking resources or clarification in their internship or about the class.