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Enterprise for Youth Celebrates Graduating Class of Bloomberg Arts Interns in San Francisco

Mayor Daniel Lurie honored Enterprise for Youth's inaugural Bloomberg Arts Interns as they celebrated a summer of paid work experience, professional development, and career exploration across San Francisco's arts and cultural institutions.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — August 7, 2026 — Enterprise for Youth (EFY) celebrated the graduation of its inaugural cohort of 26 Bloomberg Arts Interns at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), recognizing a summer of meaningful paid work experience, professional growth, and career exploration in San Francisco's arts and cultural sector.

The celebration brought together interns, families, internship hosts, civic leaders, and community partners to honor the accomplishments of the students, who each completed more than 250 hours of paid internship experience with leading arts and cultural organizations throughout the city such as the SF MOMA, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Southern Exposure, A.C.T, and Youth Speaks.

In addition to their summer internships, participants engaged in a robust professional development program that included visits to cultural institutions, college essay workshops, financial literacy training, résumé reviews, and career readiness activities designed to prepare them for future success.

"We are incredibly proud of this first cohort of Bloomberg Arts Interns," said Carlo Solis, Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise for Youth. "These young people demonstrated creativity, professionalism, and resilience while contributing to some of San Francisco's most vibrant cultural institutions. This program is about opening doors to careers, building confidence, and ensuring that the next generation sees a place for themselves in the arts."

The graduation featured remarks from San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, who congratulated the interns on their achievements and highlighted the importance of investing in young people and the city's creative economy. 

“It's our arts and our cultural institutions that make San Francisco the city that it is.  They bring people together. They help us tell our stories and they remind us here in San Francisco of who we are as a city. But that  legacy only continues if the next generation sees themselves as part of it. This is what this great program is all about, The partnership between Bloomberg Philanthropies and Enterprise for Youth each of you built real experiences, build relationships with the mentors who believed in you and developed the confidence to pursue opportunities that maybe you didn’t even imagine for yourself.”

The event also welcomed Matthew Goudeau, Executive Director of the San Francisco Arts Commission, along with Malia Simonds and Genevieve Eumann, leaders from Bloomberg Philanthropies and numerous arts organizations that hosted interns throughout the summer.

The Bloomberg Arts Internship program expands access to paid, career-connected learning experiences for San Francisco youth while strengthening the city's arts ecosystem. Through partnerships with local museums, theaters, media organizations, and cultural institutions, interns gained firsthand experience in arts administration, education, production, communications, visitor engagement, and other creative career pathways.

The graduation marks an important milestone in the continued partnership between Enterprise for Youth and Bloomberg Philanthropies to create equitable pathways into the arts and creative industries.

About Enterprise for Youth

Founded in 1969, Enterprise for Youth empowers young people to discover their career potential through paid internships, job readiness training, and career exploration. Serving youth ages 14–24 throughout San Francisco, Enterprise for Youth partners with employers across multiple industries to provide meaningful work experiences that build confidence, skills, and opportunity. Learn more at www.enterpriseforyouth.org.

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Photos by Drew Altizer Photography