TEACHING ARTIST PROPOSALS ARE OPEN
FOR ILYOUTH2 SUMMER CAMPS!

The Basics:

  • DATES: Camps are weeklong (M-F) beginning in mid-June and go through early-August.

  • LOCATION: Our 2026 summer camps will tentatively happen in our Lloyd Center Mall studio. In the case that the owners decide to close the mall before or during our summer programming, camps will be moved offsite, and instructors and families will be notified of the new location immediately.

  • PROPOSALS: You are welcome to submit multiple proposals, but please use separate forms, and please indicate whether you’re hoping to lead both, or if it’s an either/or situation.

  • SUPPORT: All camps have an ILYouth2 studio assistant, and potentially a teen intern. ILYouth2 director is always on site at the mall. ILYouth2 provides all materials and supplies needed for camps.

  • DEADLINE: Proposals are rolling, so submit your proposal asap!

  • PAY: Teaching artists are paid $1225, or $1330 if the week is fully enrolled.

  • QUESTIONS: If you’re unsure about your idea, would like feedback before submitting, or if our proposal form doesn’t feel like an accessible format for you, feel free to email ILYouth2 director daelyn at daelyn@ily2online.com to check-in digitally or to schedule an in-person chat!

  • PREVIOUS INSTRUCTORS: If you have already led a camp at ILYouth2 you can skip this proposal process! Please just email daelyn directly with your idea! (If you’d prefer to use the proposal form format that’s fine too!)

About Our Camps:

  • To see previous summer camps we’ve hosted, please visit our archive.

  • THEMES: OPEN! Camps can be centered around a specific art medium (eg: paper mache) or genre (eg: surrealism) ; project-based (eg: making a stuffie) ; themed (eg: Pokémon) ; or whatever else you come up with! Projects can span multiple days, or be contained within an individual day.

  • AGES: Our 2026 summer camps will have two separate age groups, 7-11 & 11-14!

  • ENROLLMENT: Our minimum enrollment to run camp is 8 campers, and our maximum capacity is 16 campers.

  • TIME: Camp is 9am-3pm. Teaching artists must arrive by 9am (or as early as 8:30am), and have a 30min break during campers’ lunch. Teaching artists may leave between 3pm and 3:30pm, as long as the studio is cleaned up (we recommend building this into the camp day, with the campers).

We know putting together a proposal is a lot of labor in of itself, so here are some things we look for:

  • Evidence that you know how you will fill a full week of programming (with backups because sometimes kids move through things quickly)! This is one of the most important things we look for. We cannot accept proposals that will not keep campers busy all week!

  • Specificity! ie: telling us what projects you’d like to do each day, what artists you’d like to show the campers, how days might be broken down etc.

  • Experience teaching youth, or, a demonstrated understanding of what support you’d need!

  • Clear idea of materials needed.

SAMPLE DAY

Aside from items with an * (which must remain in place, and are led by ILYouth2 staff) camp days do not need to follow this structure, it’s just one that we have found works, so we like to share it!

  • 8:30-9am : camper drop-off, instructor set-up*

  • 9-9:15am : rules / agreements / check-ins*

  • 9:15-9:45am : presentation (slide show, discussion, art share, etc)

  • 9:45-10:30am : art activity block

  • 10:30-11a : transition time & snack

  • 11-12:00p : art activity block

  • 12:00-12:30p : transition time & lunch*

  • 12:30-2:00p : art activity block

  • 2:00-2:30p : transition time & snack

  • 2:30-3p : clean up & collective art share

  • 3-3:30p: camper pick-up*