Creative
Leadership
Youth Program

Thrive Inc’s after-school Creative Leadership Youth Program trains area high school and community college students in art, design, entrepreneurship, and life skills and works with them to improve their community through public art and outdoor recreation projects in Phillips County, Arkansas. Participating students learn job transferable skills, gain access to paid internships, discover creative industry career paths, and develop a lasting sense of civic responsibility.

Make your community proud...and fun!

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Make your community proud...and fun! •

Objective 1

Provide 7th-12th graders and community college students with study and experiential learning of creative careers and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Objective 2

Support participating junior, senior and community college students interested in pursuing creative careers and job opportunities.

Objective 3

Teach students about civic responsibility and leadership by completing projects that enhance quality of life and reduce blight in Phillips County, Arkansas.

WHAt we do

  • Design Skill Workshops
    Through an entrepreneurial lense we teach week-long workshops covering art and design subjects such as graphic design, web design, photography and even land art! To instill leadership qualities within our students we get outside and create public art to beautify our community such as murals. To date we've painted 15 murals all across town!

  • For area students with an interest in attending art or design school, we offer one-on-one creative tutoring services for college-bound juniors and seniors.

    These services are facilitated by graduate students from the University of Arkansas. Learn more about their innovative program here!

  • Qualified Juniors and Seniors have access to our annual all-expense paid trip to explore a regional city harnessing creative placemaking strategies such as parks, public art, and community space.

    If you would like to provide a scholarship so that we can take more students with us please contact info@thrivecenter.org

  • After one year of volunteering within the program, paid internships become available to juniors and seniors. Jobs range from designing a flyer for a local church to painting a mural!

  • Participating high school seniors have access to financial support for college campus visits, as well as book and technology costs through an application process.

    If you would like to help us grow our scholarship activities please donate here! Please leave us a note on Paypal for the proper fund designation.

2024-25 workshops

4pm-6pm each day for one week

September 17-20, 2024 • Hopewell Indian Mural, Downtown Helena

October 21-25, 2024 • Downtown Photography with Marcus Eubanks

November 18-22, 2024 • Land Art in the River Park with John Ruskey

December 16-20, 2024 • Holiday Printmaking w/ Perrion Hurd & Architecture w/ Ryan Biles

February 10-14, 2025 • Website and Social Media Design

March 10-14, 2025 • Painting Downtown Streetscapes

April 3-6 or 10-13, 2025 (Date TBD) • Design Trip!!!!!

June (Date TBD), 2025 • Summer Design Camp w/ UofA Masters Students

Our space

The Thrive Center is a 6,000 sq ft workshop and office located at 415 Ohio street in Historic Downtown Helena, Arkansas. The space is staffed by knowledgeable industry professionals and is equipped with a wood shop, paint shop, computer lab with graphic design software, audio/visual equipment, VR/AR equipment and a 3-D printer. These resources are used in all of our creative placemaking efforts and are available to participating students including a Macbook laptop and DSLR camera checkout system.