Creative
Leadership
Youth Program
Thrive Inc’s after-school Creative Leadership Youth Program trains area high school and community college students in art, design, entrepreneurship, and life skills and works with them to improve their community through public art and outdoor recreation projects in Phillips County, Arkansas. Participating students learn job transferable skills, gain access to paid internships, discover creative industry career paths, and develop a lasting sense of civic responsibility.
Make your community proud...and fun!
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Make your community proud...and fun! •
Objective 1
Provide 7th-12th graders and community college students with study and experiential learning of creative careers and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Objective 2
Support participating junior, senior and community college students interested in pursuing creative careers and job opportunities.
Objective 3
Teach students about civic responsibility and leadership by completing projects that enhance quality of life and reduce blight in Phillips County, Arkansas.
WHAt we do
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Design Skill Workshops
From our professional graphic design studio in historic downtown, Helena, we teach logo design, website design, photography, and social media marketing. Business-related subjects are covered to prepare students for maintaining a small business, and college pathways are discussed for those interested in taking next steps toward a career.Public Service Workshops
Learning leadership through volunteerism, students apply their skills to paint murals and create hiking trails within the community. Students are exposed to the fundamentals of project planning and execution. -
Thrive’s weekly Professional Wednesday sessions cover three major areas of focus; Creative College and Career Readiness, Financial Literacy, and Life Strategies. These classes are led by visiting and remote professionals and offer a glimpse into the lives of working creative professionals from around the country.
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Qualified Juniors and Seniors have access to our annual all-expense paid trip to explore a regional city harnessing creative placemaking strategies such as parks, public art, and community space.
If you would like to provide a scholarship so that we can take more students with us please contact info@thrivecenter.org
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Paid Internships become available to Juniors and Seniors after one year of attendance within the program. Jobs range from designing a flier for a local church to painting a mural during the program year.
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Area students with an interested in attending art and design school have access to one-on-one tutoring to help them create a competitive portfolio for the college application process.
If you would like to be a design tutor, we would love your help! Please contact will@thrivecenter.org for more information.
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Participating high school seniors have access to financial support for college campus visits, as well as book and technology costs through a competitive application process.
If you would like to help us grow our scholarship activities please donate here! Please leave us a note on Paypal for the proper fund designation.
2023-24 workshops
4pm-6pm each day for one week
September 11-15, 2023 • Mural Crew Helps Cherry Street Storefronts!
October 16-20, 2023 • Design 101
November 13-17, 2023 • Bike The Delta
December 11-15, 2023 • Photography in Nature
February 20-23, 2024 • Website Wizards
April 4-7, 2024 • Art & Design Trip to Northwest Arkansas
April 15-19, 2024 • Mural Crew Helps Cherry Street Storefronts!
June 24-28, 2024 • Design Camp w/ UofA Masters Candidates
Our space
The Thrive Center is a 6,000 sq ft workshop and office located at 415 Ohio street in Historic Downtown Helena, Arkansas. The space is staffed by knowledgeable industry professionals and is equipped with a wood shop, paint shop, computer lab with graphic design software, audio/visual equipment, VR/AR equipment and a 3-D printer. These resources are used in all of our creative placemaking efforts and are available to participating students including a Macbook laptop and DSLR camera checkout system.