Design Hive

A photograph of a bird's eye view of two medium-skin toned teenagers sitting at a table and drawing on a notepad. They are drawing something in the shape of an envelope. Around them are materials such as paint brushes, leather straps and sheets, and worksheets on how to construct a leather accessory.

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Design hive

Design Hive is a paid, youth-led initiative at Cooper Hewitt. High school juniors and seniors dive deep into design objects and processes to develop their own collaborative projects. Along the way, they learn how designers move from an initial idea to final design!

Inspired by the museum’s upcoming exhibition, Making Home, this year’s Design Hive will focus on how designers think about home — from building home and creating safer spaces to issues around housing and migration. We are looking for aspiring architects, city planners, activists, and more to join our cohort this year. 

Design Hive takes place at Cooper Hewitt and offsite locations on Tuesdays from November to May between 4:30–6:30 p.m. Students must be based in the New York City area to apply. Participants must attend all weekly program dates and be available to meet at Cooper Hewitt (2 East 91st Street, New York, NY 10128).

Students will receive a stipend of $2,000 for their participation, paid in two $1,000 payments during the program.

APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR HAVE CLOSED.

Please e-mail McNallyK@si.edu to be notified when applications open for 2025-2026.

 

CHECK OUT DESIGN HIVE’S PREVIOUS WORK

Design Hive Zine 2023

Design learning at Cooper Hewitt is made possible by Adobe, The Pinkerton Foundation, The Richard and Jean Coyne Family Foundation, The Hirsch Family Foundation, PwC Charitable Foundation, The Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution’s Youth Access Grants for Youth Innovation in Rural America, and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.