The CUE Teen Collective (CTC) is a free, year-long after-school initiative for high school students, particularly those in grades 10 and 11, who have a keen interest in visual culture and aspire to explore careers in the arts. The program provides participants with the opportunity to delve into various segments of the contemporary art world, polish their art-making and critical thinking skills, and create artwork for a final group exhibition at CUE’s gallery space. It offers insights into the New York art world, elucidating potential career avenues in the arts and encouraging students to develop their personal artistic voices. The curriculum features interactions with artists and curators, trips to gallery and museum shows, visits to art fairs, hands-on studio sessions, and more. CTC is delivered in-person, with some activities taking place at CUE Art Foundation’s gallery space in Chelsea, New York, and others at varied locations depending on trips, studio visits, and other planned activities. The program spans from October to June, with weekly classes every Tuesday afternoon for two hours. There are some weeks off for holidays and school breaks, and participants should also be prepared to spend a few hours a week during the Winter/Spring session planning and creating artwork for their final group exhibition. The lead educator for CTC is Amanda Adams-Louis, who carries an extensive background in teaching, developing, and executing arts education workshops and programs for young people. Amanda, a Pratt Institute alumnus and member of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable’s Teaching Artist Affairs Committee, also serves on CUE’s board of directors. While not a strict requirement, the program is best suited for students who have an introductory knowledge or proficiency in one or more artistic mediums, and who are comfortable expressing themselves through artistic practice. Upon completion, participants will have developed and refined their artmaking and critical thinking skills and will have created artwork for a final group exhibition, thus gaining hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of the art world.