Encourage your student to follow through on all commitments and get the most out of the experience. In the spring, some parent help with events has been very valuable in past years.

Help identify strong students who would be a good fit, forward this information to counselors, and encourage applications. When a student is accepted, please offer appropriate flexibility so they can succeed.

Motivated high school students (incoming 10th–12th grade) who want to learn, lead, and serve. There is no seniority based on age or experience — everyone gets equal access to opportunities and mentors. A mature, driven 9th grader is welcome to apply.

Absolutely. While you’ll have some creative opportunities as a group, artistic talent is not required. The real focus is developing leadership and community impact skills.

The YAC is designed as a year-long leadership and community service experience that counts as a Capstone Civic Project. Past members have used their YAC roles, event planning experience, and Capstone project as powerful material for college essays, activity lists, and interviews — including admission to elite colleges. In a world full of AI- generated applications, real, meaningful leadership stands out.

You’ll gain:

• Real leadership skills (fundraising, event planning, public speaking, team motivation, decision-making)

• “Backstage” access to nonprofit leaders, artists, and community influencers

• A strong network of peers, alumni, and professionals

• A standout Capstone Civic Project you can proudly feature on applications

• The confidence that comes from actually making things happen I’m about to apply to college.

Minimum 20 service hours for the 2026–2027 school year. Here’s what to expect:

• Fall Trainings: 6–8 one-hour sessions (live and via Zoom; recordings available)

• Planning Sessions: Periodic Zoom meetings (often Sundays at 2:00 pm)

• Fundraising & Recruiting: Some independent work plus team efforts

• Spring Event: Help plan and host a half-day youth event on a Saturday

• Sub-group Projects: 5–10 additional hours total across the year

Up to 15 students from public, private, charter, online, and homeschool backgrounds.

Students should live in the Pearl MFA community or within about a 30-minute commute.

As a YAC member, you are an asset to the museum. Pearl MFA leadership and mentors will invest heavily in you through trainings and resources. Your role is to maximize that investment by actively leading youth-focused projects and events. You can operate the youth docent program, plan creative events for teen audiences, and more. Check the YAC website for examples of past events.

We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis, so when the positions are filled, we will not take any more applications.

However, August 15 is the final cutoff because we have events planned soon after that. Apply soon because spaces are filling up. We want to hear from you.