The Arts Bring Lessons to Life

Providence teens are participating in cultural classes, developing leadership skills and attending events that demonstrate the arts in action through the Cultural Leadership Institute, a new component of the Providence Teen Program made possible by a grant from The Forbes Funds.

“Every time you acquire a new skill and someone reinforces that, it makes you feel better about yourself,” says Nicole Mullet, Providence Teen Program coordinator. “Through the Cultural Leadership Institute, our teens are definitely experiencing new things that are helping them to define some goals, express their feelings and believe in themselves.”

Begun in October 2006, The Cultural Leadership Institute (CLI) grew out of Mullet’s desire to use the wealth of arts and cultural programming that Pittsburgh offers to expose local teens to different experiences, to encourage them to pursue new interests and to help them cultivate strong communication and leadership skills. “Prior to this program, our teens had little to no exposure to the arts,” says Mullet. “Since the fall, they’ve learned some basic martial arts skills, including the history and language behind the art. They’ve been to the theatre to see Ragtime, which really affected everyone; and they’ve learned all about painting, which has forced them to open up and express themselves in ways they never could before.”

Every teen who enrolls in the Providence Teen Program is eligible to participate in the Cultural Leadership Institute (CLI), provided he or she commits to participating in two six-week cultural class sessions, four Friday-night field trips, one service learning project and all of the leadership classes. The leadership classes are a mandatory part of the CLI designed to teach teens how to brainstorm; identify interests; prioritize, set and achieve measurable goals; communicate effectively with both peers and adults; and reach consensus when working in a group setting.

“The leadership classes are a vital piece of the CLI,” says Mullet. “In them, the facilitator, Marlon Ferguson from Duquesne University, focuses on helping the teens learn to respect themselves and identify their likes, strengths and dreams. He works with each teen individually to identify where they are right now and where they want to be in the future and makes sure they understand that they’re ultimately responsible for their lives. Then, he helps them to create tangible plans to achieve their goals.

“The kids—the boys especially—have really responded to Marlon because he’s been in their shoes,” continues Mullet. “He came from a similar neighborhood and was told he couldn’t play basketball, but he went on to play in high school and college, eventually becoming one of the top players in Pennsylvania at the time. He’s a great mentor and role model.”

As the leadership classes continue into the spring, the teens are preparing for their Art Show, where they’ll display and discuss the paintings they created, and for their next six-week cultural class, which will focus on drama. “I feel really good about the program so far,” says Mullet. “Because the teens chose the cultural class topics themselves, they’re participating in things that they’re genuinely interested in, which helps them focus and keeps them coming back. If we can keep them involved, we’ve got a really good chance to make a big impact on their lives.”