MYA meets twice a month, getting a behind-the-scenes look at the museum, providing feedback & input on MOHAI projects, and planning events & opportunities for teens at the museum.

• Meet museum and history professionals to learn more about how a museum runs
• Get sneak peeks and provide feedback on ongoing MOHAI projects
• Discuss and think creatively about the role of local history in teens’ lives
• Collaborate with staff, partners, and each other to organize teen events at the museum
• Represent MOHAI in the community and at partner events

This year’s MYA projects included:

• Contributing to the Rainy Day History website, including researching, writing, and producing original digital history content—new pieces coming soon!
• Helping the exhibits team develop an interactive for Perspectives on Place: Photographs From Here exhibit
• Running the @mohaiteens Instagram account and launching our TikTok account
• Conducting a peer survey on what teens want from MOHAI
• Planning a meet-up for youth representatives from other cultural organizations
• Curating content for MOHAI’s History at Home eNews

MOHAI Youth Advisors come from neighborhoods and schools across the greater Seattle area, are a mix of returning members and first-time participants, and include students with a variety of interests, skills, ages, and experiences.

MOHAI looks for creative, collaborative, and motivated teens that are passionate about history and community to get involved, connect, and have an impact at the museum. The program lasts from September–June, and applicants must be high school students between the ages of 14–18 at the start of the program.

MOHAI is committed to building a team and an organizational culture that fosters inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility – we encourage students from marginalized backgrounds to apply!

Regular attendance and active participation in MYA meetings and projects throughout the year (October–June with a September orientation) is required.

In-person meetings are held at the museum twice a month on Thursday evenings, 5–7 pm.

Assignments and projects require an additional, independent time commitment outside of regular meeting hours. These include but are not limited to volunteer shifts, project tasks and check-ins, short reflections, etc. This time commitment depends on your own capacity and schedule and fluctuates throughout the year, but on average MYA participants spend 0-2 hours a week working on projects outside of meeting times.

MYA are also expected to communicate with staff in a timely manner about known absences and catch up on missed work.

Yes—each participant receives a monthly stipend of $75 per month. Students may alternatively choose to complete the program for community service hours.

MYA applicants are primarily evaluated by their responses to the online application questions, then through a selective phone interview process that takes place during July and August.

MYA applications for the 2022-23 school year are now closed and will reopen for the 2023-24 school year in spring 2023. Thank you for your interest.