Application Opens March 2026

Streetlight’s Summer Story Lab: A Youth-Led Arts & Storytelling Intensive

The Summer Story Lab is a 3-week intensive for high school youth (ages 14–18) to explore how storytelling can be used to confront injustice, repair harm, and imagine radical new futures. Participants will design and carry out a creative storytelling project that reflects an issue or question they care deeply about—rooted in their lived experience and community wisdom.

Young people selected for the Lab will be compensated for their time and contributions, recognizing them as artists, researchers, and culture workers.

Upon completing the Summer Story Lab, participants will be invited to apply for Streetlight’s School Year Fellowship, a paid opportunity to deepen their creative practice, collaborate with peers, and bring their work to public audiences.

Summer 2026

The 2026 Summer Story Lab will take place in New Orleans. This in-person program will run for 3 weeks in late June/early July, Monday through Thursday

Dates & Times
TBD (June/July)
Mon- Thursday
10:00 AM–3:00 PM CST
No programming Friday, July 4 in honor of Independence Day.

Eligibility

All applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible:

► Be between the ages of 14–18 and enrolled in high school (including recent graduates). Students turning 14 or 19 during the summer are welcome to apply.

► Live in the Greater New Orleans area and have access to reliable transportation to attend in-person programming. Homeschooled students and those attending private or charter schools are encouraged to apply.

► Youth under 18 must be able to provide parent/guardian consent.

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