Teen Programs

A photograph of a group of teenagers and an adult are sitting around a circular table and talking. The light- brown skinned adult who wears a colorful striped button down is smiling and in conversation with the light-brown skinned teenager with short brown hair sitting on their right. On the table is a small lamp, and books titled ‘ DapperQ Style’, and many key rings. Behind them are other circular tables that have small groups of adults sitting and talking.

Teen Programs

Interested in design and looking for a place to start? Cooper Hewitt teen programs provide high school students with opportunities to meet working designers, engage in hands-on workshops, and see themselves in the future of design.

Teen Workshops

Build your design toolkit! Our teen drop-in program, Design Practice is a series of free monthly workshops exploring techniques, strategies, and careers in design. No prior experience required—just bring yourself and a creative mindset.

Design Hive

A photograph of a bird's eye view of two medium-skin toned teenagers sitting at a table and drawing on a notepad. They are drawing something in the shape of an envelope. Around them are materials such as paint brushes, leather straps and sheets, and worksheets on how to construct a leather accessory.
Design Hive is an application-based paid, youth-led internship program at Cooper Hewitt. High school juniors and seniors dive deep into design objects and processes to develop their own collaborative projects. Along the way, they will learn how designers move from an initial idea to final design.

Design Career Fair

A photograph of a group of teenagers and an adult are sitting around a circular table and talking. The dark-skinned with closely shaved hair is talking to medium-skin toned teenager sitting beside them and referencing a slide on their laptop. Behind them are other circular tables that have small groups of adults sitting and talking.
Cooper Hewitt hosts an annual Design Career Fair, where teens are invited to talk with top designers working in the fields of fashion, product design, architecture, graphic design, and more.

National High School Competition

Taking place annually, the National High School Design Competition invites students from around the country to design a solution to a unique scenario, inspired by Cooper Hewitt’s rich collection and stimulating exhibitions.

Upcoming Teen Programs

To see programs for all age levels, view our Calendar.

08/01
Thursday
Thu. August 1, 2024
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET
Experience the Cooper Hewitt collection objects and exhibitions through drawing! An Atlas of Es Devlin is the first monographic exhibition of British artist and stage designer Es Devlin. The exhibition traces the throughline from Devlin’s early artwork, to sketches and stage plans, to models and videos of her stage designs activated. This exhibition is full of visual imagery to spark the imagination for sketching!  .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 E 91st Street New York, NY 10028
Free with museum admission
08/10
Saturday
Sat. August 10, 2024
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET
Experience the Cooper Hewitt collection objects and exhibitions through drawing! The Acquired! Shaping the National Design Collection exhibition highlights how Cooper Hewitt acquires new objects to shape the collection to better reflect current issues and design’s evolving role in daily interactions. The exhibition has over 150 works on view – which ones will you sketch? .
Event Address:
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 E 91st Street New York, NY 10028
Free with museum admission

 

Check out our online resources

Explore design activities, videos, and a Design Career Toolkit for advice on design careers, networking, and portfolio tips.

Design Career Toolkit →
Design At Home →
Smithsonian Learning Lab →