The Metro: A paid arts program puts teens in control of their future

By: Tia Graham

16 April 2026 at 02:15

This summer, up to 200 Detroit high school students will have the chance to turn their creativity into a paycheck.

Through the Summer Arts Employment Training program, also known as SAET, young people ages 14 to 17 will receive hands-on arts training, while gaining real-world job experience.

A young artist works on a multimedia piece, engaging collage and pencil drawing to create an abstract portrait. — High School participants in Live Coal’s 2025 SAET program

The program is led by Heritage Works in partnership with Detroit Excellence in Youth Arts (DEYA), along with Grow Detroit’s Young Talent and over 10 arts groups across the city.

Program leaders say the goal is simple: to create pathways to success. The program runs from late June through mid-August with funding support from the State of Michigan and Grow Detroit’s Young Talent.

Nafeesah Symonette is the co-founder and executive director of DEYA. Alvin “AJ” Lockett is the founder of Que Blackout Youth Theater. Both joined The Metro’s Tia Graham to talk more about summer jobs and having a space for teens to learn and grow.

The Detroit Summer Art Job Fair is on Saturday, April 18, 2026.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

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