Rachel Whalen

• Taught in the ArtWorks program, a paid youth apprenticeship program in the arts for high school students ages 14-18 who reside in the City of Buffalo. The youth work in teams to flex their creative muscles and learn essential career skills while producing works of art
• Researched and conducted interviews to create an informal strategic plan for sustaining and growing the ArtWorks program
• Created a visual art project in the form of a map to highlight the local region and places that students live, play and work
• Developed curriculum for the M@RE program which focuses on reducing recidivism by youth at the Erie County Youth Detention Center or somehow involved with the criminal justice system

"The High Roads experience will never just be ‘something I did one summer.’ It has sparked interests and skills I never knew I had, and it has kick-started a new drive in me. I have my sights set on working in communities as rich as this one, and though they may not always be in Buffalo nor in the public sector nor even in arts or education (though I am very closely attached to every one of those communities), I dearly hope they are all as enriching. I cannot express the depth of my appreciation for the experiences I had and the people I interacted with, and I will certainly carry this with me for the rest of my life. To my dear Buffalo, always my home and now my community, my gratitude is endless."

"Rachel did phenomenal work with the M@Re and for ArtWorks programs. She was a wonderful mentor for our students, using her creativity and patience to really bring out the best in the youth. Rachel is an exceptional young person and it was a privilege to have her as part of the Young Audiences team this summer."

Naomi Pabon-Figueroa,

Young Audiences of WNY