Community

SALT has a community of the top professionals in the visual arts community supporting our students and alumni through their creative development, and on to their first careers.

Why? We see community and support to a significant factor of success for students understanding their options in the industry and entering into the creative workforce. Not to mention, New York City is filled with talent, and a network to support you and build connections is critical.

Creative Exploration

SALT believes everyone is creative, and it manifests in different ways. At SALT we work with developing the tools - both physical and emotional - to unlock creativity and explore our voices, artistic nature, and craft.

Why? Creativity is a muscle we must develop, flex, and continue to build upon over time. SALT’s programming is designed to support this, as well as harness a community of creatives to explore further

College Prep

We support students through individualized coaching, tutoring, and preparation for the college application and scholarship process including the ACT classes, weekly access to a college counselor, mentoring and a bootcamp in the summer to complete college applications before school starts.

Why? As many students are the first in their family to go to college, having a support system to navigate the process is vitally important to their attendance and success.

Mentorship

Through our community of creative industry professionals, mentors support the students social, emotional, and creative development as they set sights on the future career paths.

Why? As our youth are discovering opportunities in the creative profession and understanding how to apply their creativity and skills, mentors help guide them in their process.

Skill Building

By working with creative industry partners, SALT’s programming specifically targets the digital skills gap by building technology and software skills and mastery that can be applied directly to the jobs in the creative industry.

Why? Skill development in the visual arts can be costly, and built on comprehension of other tools. By developing strong skills sets, our students have a foundation that jump start them into their profession, setting them ahead of many of their peers in college.

Career Readiness

Through internships and fellowships, SALT supports the development of our students in their readiness to enter into the visual arts workforce with experience.

Why? Entering the workforce is a significant change in many lives. By preparing our students with real-world application of their skills, we are better enabling their continued success.

Success

100% of our college graduates have jobs in their field of study. 90%of those jobs are in the creative industry.

89% projected college graduation rate

86% go to 4-year college, 14% to 2-year college

106 Scholastic Art Awards in 2019 - more than any other photo program in the Northeast!

NYC SALT students have gone on to be successful young photographers in the creative industry working for The New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ, TIME, and continuously are featured and awarded prizes for their artistry. To this end, students emerge from NYC SALT college-ready and with a foundation in the arts through their study in photography and filmmaking as a craft, competitive portfolios, and a clear vision of future career paths in visual arts—a field low-income youth from diverse backgrounds often view as unattainable.

Colleges NYC Salt Students Attend

• The Art Institute of Chicago

• Baruch College

• Binghamton University

• Carnegie Mellon University

• Cornell University

• Hunter College

• DePauw College

• Fordham University

• Hampton University

• Hofstra University

• Iona College

• John Jay College