AOB moved quickly to address the needs of its young people, many of whom have been experiencing the destabilization of their parents’ jobs, their own lay-offs, and worries about medically compromised family members. Typically a team-centered, studio-based initiative that emphasizes social inclusion, emotional development, and professional achievement, its signature program, The Apprentice Program (TAP), engages disconnected, ethnically diverse, low-to-middle-income youth (ages 15-21) in entrepreneurial arts-based workforce training. Within 48 hours, the program team set art and design challenges and scheduled daily chat sessions for the crew. Fortunately, in the digital design studio, Design Your Future, individualized workflows and tasks for each crew member were already outlined and enabled youth to take the next steps toward meeting career and learning milestones. At a time when hope is in short supply and challenges seem insurmountable, AOB means inclusion, collaboration, and … connection.
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