Urban Arts 100 · Inaugural fellowship

In partnership with Heights Philadelphia

Your ideas deserve a bigger stage.

A paid, 12-week fellowship for grade 11 students already making art, video, music, games and creative tech. Most of it happens online, working with mentors and a crew of makers who get it, then wraps up with an in-person trip to Demo Day. Get a $1,000 stipend for the project you’ve already started.

This year, Urban Arts 100 is open to grade 11 students at Heights Philadelphia and in Urban Arts programs in New York. See who can apply

Start the application

Application preview · opens in a new tab

A student in a red hoodie drawing game art on a tablet at a classroom table. — Big ideas start in rooms like this.

You bring the idea. Here’s your backup.

25: Grade 11 makers in year one
12 weeks: To take a project you’ve already started further
Philadelphia and New York: Open to grade 11 students at Heights Philadelphia and in Urban Arts programs in New York this year
Demo Day: Show your work in Philadelphia, with your trip paid for

What’s a fellowship?

A paid program for people already making things. This one’s built for you.

You bring a project you’ve already started. We back it with mentors who make art, games, tools and media for a living, a small peer group to trade ideas with, and a stage at the end to show what you built.

The project is your own: no assigned brief, and it’s fine if you built it with other people. And you don’t need a perfect portfolio, or to have been an Urban Arts student before.

A group of Urban Arts students crowded around a laptop to see a classmate’s game. — Urban Arts students at work, New York

What would you make with a stipend, mentors, and a stage?

Examples, not categories

How are you using technology to express yourself? What matters most is that the work is original and powered by tech.

Digital art & animation
Illustration, character design, animation, 3D modeling, comics and manga.
Film, video & motion graphics
A film, trailer, animated short or series episode.
Music & sound design
A soundtrack, beat or set of sound effects, for your project or someone else’s.
Games
A game in Unity, Roblox, Godot, Minecraft or another engine, or a game concept, design doc or interactive story.
Fashion & wearable tech
Digital fashion, 3D-modeled pieces or clothing with tech built in.
Photography & digital imaging
A photo series, photo editing work or visual project.
AI & machine learning
A model you trained, a chatbot with its own personality, or an AI tool for your school or community.
Web & app development
A site, browser game or app for your school, your community or the world.
UX/UI design
Screens, menus or a prototype for an app, game or tool.
AR, VR & immersive
An AR filter, VR world, projection piece or immersive experience.
Streaming & content creation
A channel, series or show you’ve been building.
Physical computing & hardware
A custom controller, sensor installation, wearable or robot you’re wiring and coding.
Data visualization
A map, chart, dashboard or interactive graphic built from real data.

Wherever your project is, that’s where we want to meet it. An early prototype or something you’ve been building for a year, it all counts. Not sure your idea fits? If it’s original and powered by tech, it counts. More answers in the FAQ.

Urban Arts students testing a project on a laptop. — Testing a build at Urban Arts

A mentor and a student laughing while playing a game together. — Playtest time at Urban Arts

Can I use AI?

Yes, but you don’t have to.

It depends on what you’re making and how you work. Some projects are built with AI as the main tool. Others barely touch it. Both are welcome here.

The project should be yours.
The ideas, the choices and the direction come from you. AI can help you build, learn and move faster, but it shouldn’t decide what you make or do the thinking for you.
Tell us how you used it.
The application asks what tools you used, whether AI was one of them, and which parts of the work and the decisions were yours. Being honest about this never counts against you.
We want to meet you.
However much or little AI is in your project, we’re looking for your voice, your skills and your point of view: the person behind the work.

A little side quest

Every big thing starts with “what if?”

What if you tried making one connection? Then another? That’s how an idea starts becoming something real.

Optional. Just for fun. No timer, no application points.

Here’s what you get. All of it real.

A $1,000 stipendFunding to take your project further during the fellowship.
Mentors and connectionsPeople who make art, games, tools and media for a living, and a cohort of 24 other makers.
A boost for your college applicationsA national fellowship and a project you’ve taken further. It adds to your college journey, it doesn’t compete with it.
A trip to Demo Day in PhiladelphiaShow your work to a live audience. Urban Arts pays for you to attend.
A named national fellowship credentialFor your college applications, and for life.

The cohort

Find your “wait, you make that too?” people.

You don’t have to figure everything out on your own. Year one brings together makers from Heights Philadelphia and Urban Arts programs in New York, each with their own ideas, works in progress and weirdly specific interests. Every fellow owns their own project. You’ll trade feedback in small peer groups, with mentors along the way.

A shared table. An idea to trade. Someone who gets it.

Urban Arts students working side by side with laptops and headphones.

Room for a new perspectiveYour seat is open.

Imagine what you could build together.

Who can apply, when, and who can help.

Sound like you?

You don’t need a perfect portfolio. Bring your curiosity, something you’ve started, and the drive to keep building. Here’s who the first cohort is for.

Grade: You’re currently in grade 11The 2026-27 school year
Where: You’re on one of these two tracks
Heights PhiladelphiaYou’re a Heights Philadelphia student
URBAN ARTSUrban Arts, New YorkYou’re part of an Urban Arts program in New York
Your project: You have work to showAn early prototype or something you’ve built for a year, it all counts
Prior enrollment: Not requiredYou do not need to have been an Urban Arts student
Time: About 1 to 2 hours a week for 12 weeksPlus online meetings, and Demo Day in Philadelphia in person
Applications: Open this fallExact dates coming soon

How to apply

Four steps. No nomination needed.

Check if you qualify
Answer two quick questions: are you in 11th grade, and are you a Heights Philadelphia student or in an Urban Arts program in New York? You’ll know right away.
Tell us about you, and ask one adult
Basic info about you and your project. Ask an adult who knows your work for a letter of support as soon as you start.
Tell your story and show your project
Tell us what you made, how you made it and what’s next: write it here, record a 2-minute video, or upload a two-page PDF. Then show your project with a video of 2 minutes or less, or up to 5 slides (optional if you recorded your story). A phone video is fine.
Finish with a parent or caregiver
They confirm your eligibility and give permission for you to take part.

Plan on 2 to 3 hours in total. You can save and come back.

Start the application

Not a student?

Quick answers for parents, teachers and partners.

For parents and families

Real money, real mentors, a real stage.

About 1 to 2 hours a week for 12 weeks, plus Demo Day in Philadelphia, which Urban Arts pays for. You’ll complete the last step of the application with your student: confirming eligibility and giving permission to take part.

Read the questions parents ask

For teachers, mentors and other adults

Know a grade 11 maker? Send them the link.

There’s no nomination step: students apply on their own. What helps most is a letter of support. Each applicant asks one adult who knows their work, like a teacher, coach, mentor, program leader or employer, to fill in a short form. Relatives can’t write one.

Writing a letter of support? Start here ↗

For partners

Help the next generation make its mark.

Support a signature project, share your team’s expertise, or help bring Demo Day to life. Give young creators the resources and relationships to keep going.

Become a partner

Questions, answered plainly

Does my project have to be finished?

No. Wherever your project is, that’s where we want to meet it: an early prototype, a game concept or design document, or something you’ve been building for a year. You do need work to show. We’re investing in what comes next, not what’s already done.

Will this take time away from my college applications?

It’s built to add to them. A national fellowship and a project you’ve taken further are strong additions to any application.

Where do I need to go to school?

For the pilot year, the Urban Arts 100 is open to students at Heights Philadelphia and in Urban Arts programs in New York. After the pilot, the Urban Arts 100 plans to expand to more students and more places across the country.

Do I need someone to nominate me?

No. There is no referral or nomination step. Any grade 11 student who meets the requirements can apply directly. If an adult wants to send you the link, that’s fine, but you don’t need anyone’s permission to start.

Who can write a letter of support?

One adult age 18 or older who knows your work: a teacher, school staff member, coach, mentor, program leader, community organization staff member, employer or supervisor. They must be connected to a school, organization, program or employer that Urban Arts can verify. Parents, caregivers, siblings and other relatives can’t write one. Each adult submits a short form directly, and you’re told when it arrives.

What happens at Demo Day?

Once a year the cohort comes together for the Urban Arts Summit and Demo Day: part exhibition, part showcase, part celebration. Fellows share their work with an audience of industry leaders, funders, college admissions staff and press. You’ll get ready for it with your mentor and your peer group. Demo Day will be in Philadelphia, and Urban Arts pays for fellows to attend. The date is coming soon.

What happens to the name I typed?

It is kept in your browser for this visit only and is never sent to Urban Arts or anyone else. Delete the text in the first-name field to clear it, or close this browser tab. This is a playful preview, not an application or an offer of admission.

The Urban Arts 100

Class of 2027
Inaugural cohort

Your next big thing starts somewhereWhy not here?

Applications open this fall. Start the application. New to Urban Arts? Learn about Urban Arts ↗

Review version: opens the existing application concept in a new tab. It is not a live application. The live application opens this fall.

Your ideas deserve a bigger stage.

You bring the idea. Here’s your backup.

A paid program for people already making things. This one’s built for you.

What would you make with a stipend, mentors, and a stage?

Digital art & animation

Film, video & motion graphics

Music & sound design

Games

Fashion & wearable tech

Photography & digital imaging

AI & machine learning

Web & app development

UX/UI design

AR, VR & immersive

Streaming & content creation

Physical computing & hardware

Data visualization

Yes, but you don’t have to.

The project should be yours.

Tell us how you used it.

We want to meet you.