Queens Teens Institute: Unlocking potential

Too many young people grow up without access to the creative and cultural spaces that shape confidence, identity, and opportunity. The Queens Teens Institute for Art and Social Justice (QTI) was created in response to that reality, and at Marshall, we’re proud to support and be a part of its work. QTI is a community dedicated to empowering young people to develop as independent artists and leaders driving social change. For many, it’s deeply personal, reaching beyond typical youth leadership or art programmes.

When Kimaada Le Gendre, Chief Learning Officer at the Queens Museum, began her role in early 2020, she knew the teen programme had the potential to become something deeper. Then the world shifted. The COVID-19 pandemic left teenagers across Queens isolated and under pressure, while the murder of George Floyd sparked widespread grief and activism. In one of the final virtual sessions that spring, teens asked a simple question: “Can you create something more for us? A space where we can talk about what’s happening and express what we’re feeling.” That moment became a turning point. A virtual Art & Social Justice summer programme was piloted in August 2020, centred around the voices and experiences of teenagers often left out of these conversations. From that, QTI has evolved into a supportive space for honest dialogue, critical thinking, and personal growth. 

Every young person deserves the chance to create, express themselves, and find their voice. For many, the barriers of cost, geography, and access get in the way. That’s exactly what our partnership with QTI is working to change. Our support helps fund the $1,000 stipends each participant receives, ensuring that financial circumstances never determine who can take part. It covers transportation for leadership trips to cities such as Boston and Philadelphia, opening access to cultural institutions many participants had never visited. It also provides participants with high-quality headphones and speakers that they keep after the programme, supporting their creativity beyond the programme. Together, we’re helping fund the kind of moments that unlock new possibilities and help young people realise what they can do and become. 

The true impact of the programme lies in the experiences of the young people who arrive unsure of their voice, their ideas, or their place, but leave with confidence, clarity, and purpose. They step into leadership roles, take creative risks and begin to speak with conviction. "I felt seen here in a way I never have before", one participant shares. Another sums it up, “QTI helped me learn more about myself and grow both personally and professionally.”

QTI's mission is distinct: to develop a youth-led, community-rooted model of creative education that can inspire cultural institutions everywhere to invest meaningfully in the next generation. Their approach focuses on expanding access, integrating social justice with art, and forging clear pathways into higher education and creative industries, ensuring that the QTI experience has a lasting impact.