Youth and Workforce
Emotional intelligence for the real world of work.
I teach youth and young adults emotional intelligence for the workplace through art and technology, with entrepreneurship, branding and marketing built in.
Four tools they keep for life
Mirror
Know what you feel.
Brakes
Stop before you react.
Radar
Read the room.
Bridge
Act so everyone wins.
What a session looks like
- The hook. One question gets every student talking in the first minute.
- Meet the four tools. Students discover Mirror, Brakes, Radar and Bridge on their own, then name them.
- Real workplace moments. Classmates become first coworkers. We practice on situations they'll really face.
- The 3-second pause. Pairs practice the pause that changes what happens next.
- Your edge. Why these skills matter at work, starting with the first interview.
- City Hustle game. Teams put it all to work in a fast, loud, fun round of Vibe Check.
Art meets technology
- Digital designMaking something beautiful with real design tools.
- VideoTelling your story on camera and on the edit.
- AI literacyUsing AI as a tool, safely and honestly.
- A first portfolio siteA real website that shows the work.
Vibe Check: Work Development Edition
Our emotional intelligence game brings NYC workplace moments into the room. Teams play on their phones, read the room, and practice choosing the response that helps everyone win. No accounts and no personal details from students.
Why art and work skills belong together
A 2014 randomized study in Rio de Janeiro found that a program mixing expressive arts, theatre, life skills and job training raised employment by 33.3% and earnings by 23.6% five months after it ended. It was a different place and population. We share it as the idea behind our approach. It doesn't describe our own results.
Source: Calero, C. et al. (2014). Can arts-based interventions enhance labor market outcomes among youth? Evidence from a randomized trial in Rio de Janeiro. Ruhr Economic Papers 486.
We never collect information from children. Adults hold every account, and every app or AI tool we use is checked for its age rules first.
Hosting rooms since way back
Sponsor a seat
Help a young person sit in this room. Tell us what you'd like to give and we'll share where it goes.