Street Lab Youth Engagement Programs
Here’s how Street Lab gets youth involved in transforming the street-level environment of New York City…
Summer Internship Program
Our summer internship offers NYC high school students training and paid work helping to run Play Streets across the city, funded in part through the City’s Summer Youth Employment Program. Learn about our 2025 Interns, and stay tuned for info about 2026.
Weekend Leadership Program
This multi-week civic engagement experience for teens allows them to participate in the development and activation of public spaces in their neighborhood. Learn more about our Spring 2026 program focused on Central Harlem.
K-12 Workshop Series
In-school and afterschool workshops for K-12 students are led by Street Lab staff, and include a curriculum that teachers can implement themselves. The workshops introduce core concepts of urban planning and public space design and engage youth in the planning and activation of a street near their school. Students gain real-world experience in civic engagement, teamwork, and leadership, while discovering the power of shaping the neighborhoods they call home.
Activation Kits and Training
We loan our designs to youth groups and offer training for youth who are ready to engage communities and activate public space. See youth groups at work at Kensington Plaza in 2025 and at NYCHA in 2024.
To get involved with Street lab, reach out!
“I learned how deeply connected and resilient the community is, and how much impact small, consistent efforts—like creating welcoming spaces—can have. I also realized that I thrive when I’m actively engaging with people from different backgrounds and working toward a shared goal”
“The students not only got valuable training on how to develop lesson plans and youth educational programming and curricula, they also got to encounter first-hand real-world examples of traditional and non-traditional educators practicing out in the field. Each community partner that we worked with this summer is a positive example of a community changemaker–someone who had a vision for bettering their community and is in the process of executing it–which strikes at the heart of what the best teachers do. Ultimately, outside of pedagogical knowledge, they were also learning about how to be bold enough to care and want to make change in the community which, hopefully for many of them, will be integrated into their classroom practices as future educators.”
This work is made possible by a grant from the Pinkerton Foundation and the generosity of Street Lab’s individual donors. Thank you for your support!
Street Lab has been engaging youth since 2021.
Here are recent updates:
Street Lab creates summer jobs for youth at NYC Open Streets
At four Open Streets in Harlem and the Bronx, 15 youth from the High School for Teaching and the Professions worked with Street Lab and our community partners to offer free, STEAM-focused programming for children and people of all ages. These summer jobs were part of...
Street Lab helps District 39 youth leaders connect with residents at Kensington Plaza
Street Lab worked with a group of eight teens from the 2024-2025 Youth Leadership Council for NYC Council District 39, helping them realize a plan for engaging community members in public space. Street Lab offered a training in our warehouse, and loaned the teens our...
Street Lab hiring Youth Education Manager and Field Manager
Street Lab is hiring for several full-time temporary and part-time positions, including Youth Education Manager and Field Manager. These are positions with room to grow and possiblities for salaried roles later in the year. We're looking for talented people eager to...
