What do I want to do when I grow up? It’s a question we all have to ask ourselves and, eventually, answer. The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM) (an A&E Operating Grant recipient) is helping students learn what it's like to grow up to become an artist through hands-on experience.

CAM’s “Teen Museum Studies” offers local teenagers opportunities to learn about museum careers and gain practical work experience in everything from public relations and accounting to curating art exhibitions.

Created in 2010, the program offers 12 students the opportunity to participate in the six-week summer intensive and receive a stipend for their work. Tuan Nguyen, CAM’s education director, explains, “The program started as a way to engage students who were interested in the arts but who weren’t necessarily interested in a studio path to the arts.”

Participating students come from schools all over the St. Louis Metropolitan Area and from a range of backgrounds. During the selection process, Nguyen identifies students with a variety of different experiences, skills and strengths.

The mix of interests can be seen in the careers they pursue once they complete the program. Many students go on to college, focusing on careers in everything from graphic design to computer animation to biology. Nguyen feels the creativity and skills participants develop through the program benefit them in any career.

“I’ve seen students go from very shy and timid to being very active in putting their voice and opinion out there,” says Nguyen.

“One of the things that students always remark upon is the growth they have experienced in learning how to work with people – people they don’t know and with different backgrounds,” he continues. “I think one of the hidden benefits of the program is that ability to work together and collaborate to make things happen.”

As part of the program, students curate and organize an art exhibition in CAM’s Education Gallery. In 2015, the students worked with artist Cole Lu to plan an exhibit that examines the barriers created when we communicate using technology. Students went through a detailed selection process before choosing Lu for a solo show. The students then worked closely with Lu to present the exhibit. The process – including working within a budget and meeting deadlines – was driven entirely by the students.

“The students always rise to the challenge,” reflects Nguyen. “At the beginning, they are shocked and overwhelmed by the amount of responsibility, agency and power that they have. But by the end of the program, they’ve grown into it, and you can see them gain confidence from being empowered."

The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis is an A&E Operating Grant recipient. For more information visit camstl.org. For more information about artist Cole Lu, visit colelu.com.