Restorative Arts and Equity Manager Josiah Gholson and Restorative Arts and Equity Coordinator Claudia Lawhon updated the commission on two programs: a paid student internship program and a planned relaunch of arts programming for court-involved youth.

Josiah Gholson said the Community Arts Leaders internship program places college students with host arts organizations and mentors; “we currently have 8 students working at 8 various host sites who, each have been also paired with a mentor,” and the internships will conclude in June. He said staff are planning professional-development sessions for interns and preparing FY26 application guidelines.

Why it matters: The internship program provides paid workforce development for emerging arts workers and augments capacity at host organizations. The court-involved youth program is a targeted restorative intervention that partners with juvenile justice and community hosts to deliver arts-integrated services intended to support positive development and resiliency.

Program history and next steps: Staff said the court-involved youth program originally launched in FY18 in collaboration with Judge Callaway and the Davidson Juvenile Justice Court. The most recent round ran in FY24 with four to five host organizations. Staff are drafting a framework for a public call so eligible organizations can reapply; they emphasized centering restorative-justice principles and improving data collection to measure outcomes.

Timing: Community Arts Leaders applications for the next cycle are expected to open this summer; staff are deciding whether FY26 internships will run one or two semesters. The court-involved youth programming guidelines and funding recommendations will be presented to the commission in the coming months as an action item.

Staff invited commissioners to reach out with questions and noted they will continue to coordinate with juvenile justice and community partners as they finalize the relaunch.