This summer Teen Thinkers conducted independent research projects on the theme Design, Space, and the Everyday. Their research was informed by interviews in the field with Miko McGinty of Miko Books; Anita Perr of The NYU Ability Project; Mabel O. Wilson of The Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University; and Alida Jekabson of The Museum of Art and Design.

The Lab for Teen Thinkers is two-year public humanities program that prepares 12 rising juniors and seniors for future academic and professional success through civic development, mentoring, and internship opportunities. Participants have access to Bard Graduate Center’s research institute, study collection, and library with over 55,000 volumes. The program offers a behind-the-scenes look at how New York City museums function and gives teens the unique opportunity to study objects and artifacts with a variety of scholars, curators, and graduate students working in the fields of material culture, decorative arts, and design history. Participants conduct independent research and create dynamic digital projects with the support of our Digital Media Lab. Teen Thinkers contribute their research and scholarship with the larger academic community at Bard Graduate Center, influencing how others might learn and think about material culture.