Caminos Teen Leadership Program
We're Celebrating!
Caminos turns 10
The Caminos Teen Leadership program is turning ten years old in 2027!
Founded in 2017, Caminos is a paid ESB-MACC internship program empowering teens between the ages of 16 and 18 in the Austin, Texas area to pursue their dream creative careers. We welcome the 10th Class of Caminos, who have already started their term with the MACC at our Viva Mexico celebration on Saturday, September 12th! We are so excited to see these students joining a legacy of 88 Caminos alumni, 26 of which have continued to stay on with the MACC and serving our community after their internship term is over.
Class of 2027 - welcome to the MACC family! We can't wait to see what you accomplish this year!
About Caminos
Our Program
Caminos Teen Leadership Program is an immersive, one year long paid internship empowering Austin-area Teens to carve their own path in the creative arts. They undergo a rigorous application process and represent a diverse spectrum of schools and geographic areas of Austin, Texas. They are high schoolers passionate about pursuing a creative career that can make a palpable difference in their communities. They are also very curious about learning more about Latin American and Indigenous cultures in the Americas and sincerely want to serve other teens by creating content and events that are relevant and enriching. In so doing, they become Ambassadors of Latinx culture in Austin while receiving precious professional development and empowerment along the way.
Read on to discover some of the past projects by Caminos graduates from previous years!
Remember to follow @ATXCaminos on Instagram to see their projects and updates!
Professional Development
What We Do
Throughout their internship, Caminantes work on a variety of artistic and community-oriented projects in order to develop a variety of skills, ranging from creative production skills benefiting their creative portfolio, to holistic leadership skills benefiting their professional development as young people entering the workforce. Below are a couple pillars of the Caminos experience that help make that happen.
- Working with Local Artists
Caminantes co-create murals, indie publications, documentaries, and even performances with the guidance of the Caminos team and local working artists willing to be payed to mentor young aspiring-creatives on projects of varying scales. Some of the artists Caminantes have worked with include: Raul Salinas, J Muzacz, Niz, Miguel Santana, Alonso Estrada, and more.
- Community Engagement
We are continually supporting and building relationships with our sister sites, local leaders and community organizations as well. Past partners include: Institute of Chicanx Psychology, Mexic-Arte, UT LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections, George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center, and more.
- Arts Education Field Trips
Caminantes take field trips to museums and art galleries around Austin as part of their paid year-long internship. This is an opportunity to be exposed to fine arts spaces and see how Austin's artists and creatives are putting their own twists to the "traditional" artist practice, perhaps inspiring ideas for their own endeavors. Some of our field trips include the Blanton Museum of Art, the Outdoor Hope Gallery, The Mosaic Workshop, Red Salmon Arts, and more.
History
Our Impact
CAMINOS is a paid internship at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center empowering Austin-area teens to carve their own path in the creative arts. In this 10-month-long paid internship, teens engage in art making, peer leadership building, and explorations of mental health. They graduate the program and go on to pursue college and/or diving into their careers using the skills they've learned as peer and community leaders. At the end of their year in the program, “Caminantes” receive the title of Ambassador of Latinx Arts & Culture by showing unwavering commitment to improve their community through creativity, hard work, and compassion while promoting the ESB-MACC’s Mission:
“The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (ESB-MACC) is dedicated to the preservation, creation, presentation, and promotion of the cultural arts of Mexican Americans and Latino cultures.”
Caminantes work alongside ESB-MACC professionals on a variety of community-oriented activities which include:
- Support and leadership at ESB-MACC’s signature events and festivals;
- Curation and execution of Youth Art exhibits for the community at large;
- Production of public artworks aligned with the ESB-MACC’s mission;
- Public Outreach for the ESB-MACC at youth conferences; conventions and community events
Many of them continue in their careers with the Emma S. Barrientos Cultural Center or the City of Austin. Over the course of nearly 10 years, our Caminos graduates have gone on to be graphic designers, event producers, activity specialists, Summer Camp leaders, and more! See our full list of alumni below.
History
Caminos Program Past Projects
The Caminos Teens create public artworks and community workshops as some of their many projects throughout their one-year leadership program. These accomplishments are teen-led, with support from ESB-MACC staff and local teaching artists who engage the students, mentor them in the arts, and help them complete their vision. Check out some of our past projects below! Read more about each project, and more, from the Caminantes perspective on our Caminos Blog.
Breaking Barriers (Rompiendo Barreras) is an annual event advocating for mental health awareness created by teens, for teens, shaped and hosted by the teen interns of the ESB-MACC Caminos Teen Leadership program.
View the documentary short about the Caminos Teen Leadership program. The video was created by Jana Birchum, who documented the teens as they led the annual event in Spring 2024.
Watch the documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqKMAGTJ23A
First held in 2019, the second class of the Caminos Teen Leadership program observed a pattern in Latine and BIPOC communities regarding mental health. Through their firsthand experiences of dealing with those behaviors in their every day lives, the Caminantes sought to break the cycle.
With the goal to create a space for conversation, connection, and creation–the Caminos Teen Leadership program developed Breaking Barriers as an event dedicated to spreading mental health awareness and breaking the barriers that harm and isolate our youth in their times of need. Every year–through live performances, curated panels and sessions with mental health professionals, ancestral healing practices, a plethora of creative DIY workshops and activities, and more–the Caminos program interns (or Caminantes) curate the event to be a safe place for teens in the Austin area to come together and connect as a community.
"After years of leasing the space for staging for the high-rise at 70 Rainey Street, the lot at 64 Rainey Street, or the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center Pocket Park (MACC Pocket Park), is now available to develop into a meaningful park space for visitors. Under the guidance of City Council Resolution no. 20220609-123, the Parks and Recreation Department in collaboration with the Mexican American Cultural Center Advisory Board (MACC Board) will further develop the pocket park. Temporary activation was completed in June 2024. City Council District 9"
-- AustinTexas.Gov/MaccPocketPark
Pending our site reopening on June 6, 2026 - The Caminos Class of 2025 was tasked with creating and implementing 6 different murals at the ESB-MACC's Pocket Park, with 6 of the park's benches being their canvases. As the benches sit in a prime historic area (the corner of River and Rainey), the Caminantes developed each bench concept to make the space "a meaningful park space at 64 Rainey Street which is filled with historical importance from the black and brown community". (Jayla Williams, Class of 2025 Caminante)
With the guidance of professional artist Miguel Angel Santana - the Class of 2025 Caminantes completed their work on the Pocket Park over the course of 8 months in June of 2025. Check out the documentary!
The Onion Creek Mural Project was proposed by City Council in response to Resolution No. 20211014-048 – Flood Memorial and Community Engagement.
The lead muralist, Alonso Estrada (Artist name: The Death Head), was hired by the City of Austin to coordinate with the community on the design and implementation of a mural located at Onion Creek Metropolitan Park in response to the Halloween Floods of 2013 and 2015.
Community was always at the core of this process. Estrada interviewed affected families, delved into the history, and created the final image for the mural in honor of the flood victims and their families stories. Even in the realization of the mural, community members were welcomed into the working zone. Everyone was encouraged to come out to the site and volunteer and help in the creation of the mural, including us – Caminos!
The Caminos class of 2024 worked on this mural project under the guidance of the artist Alonso Estrada, until the date of the public unveiling: Saturday, October 28, 2023 - 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM facilitated by Mayor of Austin Kirk Preston Watson and Councilwoman Vanessa Fuentes.
Caminantes gained a lot from this project. From hearing about the inner workings of City-funded Public Artworks, to how to mix paints for unconventional canvases (asphalt, in this case). Caminos as a program strives to help teens in the Austin-area get an idea of life in the arts and give back to their community throughout their year as interns with the Emma S. Barrientos Cultural Center. To be part of such a project is an honor to Caminos.
Caminos student interns such as Ethan Barrera said they like getting hands-on experience working with different types of mediums, while also getting involved in their community. Barrera’s stepdad used to live in the neighborhood, but relocated before the 2013 and 2015 floods. He said he’s excited to work on a project for the community and spread awareness on what happened.
“Those people got left behind in terms of relief, so it’s nice to have something to recognize the issue and give back in a way,” Barrera said.
What is your Austin?
The "What is Your Austin?" Project was imagined and executed by the Caminantes of the Caminos Class of '23. Over multiple months in the second half of their internship, they scouted locations, photographed them, wrote articles about them, and built a sculpture with a key. The sculpture is a multi media collage on a 36" x 60" sheet of plywood. Read on for images of the sculpture, a key listing the locations featured on the map, and the articles the Caminantes wrote to go along with a select few.
Artist statement
Austin is a collage of different cultures and perspectives. This map, with marked locations curated by us, expresses OUR culture and perspective. We wanted to showcase the recreational, informative, and cultural places that make Austin unique to us.
Medium: collage, mixed media, written articles, and illustrations.
The locations on the map are separated into categories by color. Each circle marking these locations has a unique symbol and number on it - correlating to the list below. These places are what makes this city "Austin" to us - check them out sometime!
Nature (Green)
| Museums and Cultural Centers (Brown)
|
Book Nooks (Blue)
| Food (Red)
|
Miscellaneous (Yellow)
|
In the summer of 2018, the teens from the Caminos Teen Leadership Program decided to embark upon a large scale mosaic mural arts project honoring the contributions of Latinas to our society, which was officially installed and unveiled in April 2023. J Muzacz is the artist mentor responsible for overseeing the project, and it was coordinated by Frederico Geib, former Caminos program director at the ESB-MACC. We spent the day hearing from community members, leaders, MACC staff and former Caminantes discussing the impact and legacy of the mural with heartfelt speeches.
This mural is permanently installed on the west side of the MACC grounds, visible from the Roy and Ann Butler Trail.
Bianca Olivares Reyes, former Caminante and current graphic designer at the ESB-MACC, produced a short documentary following the mural from start to finish. You can watch the full mural presentation on Facebook!
Zines?
"Zines" are short publication often made by hand. It has been a tradition for the Caminantes to create at least one every year, often in reflection to our group fieldtrips, or following themes of their own creation. Check out the Archive of some of the zines Caminantes have created throughout the years.
In February 2020, the Caminos teens designed and painted a permanent art installation in the conference room at the ESB-MACC. The mural was designed by the teens with teaching artist Niz, who taught them a stencil making technique that was brand new for all of the teens. The mural depicts the teens' favorite memories at the ESB-MACC, including the performing artists who have inspired teens with their talent and expression of culture.
Javier Jara, one of the ESB-MACC's Latino Artist Access Program participants, along with a Catrina-dressed participant from the 2019 Day of the Dead celebration, and Sonia Lopez, a dancer and teacher with the Ballet Folklorico of Austin group at the ESB-MACC, are some of the figures that the teens depicted in the mural. Over a series of working sessions, mostly on Saturdays, the teens worked with Niz to add layers of spray paint to the mural and resulted in a multi-dimensional, multi-colored, collective masterpiece to be enjoyed at the ESB-MACC for years to come. On February 29, 2020, the Caminos Teens inaugurated the mural with their friends, family, and supporters as they completed their leadership program and celebrated their graduation. We look forward to future mural projects from the 2020 Caminos class and beyond!
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Onion Creek Mural Project Ceremony, October 18th, 2023
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Onion Creek Mural Project Ceremony, October 18th, 2023
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Onion Creek Mural Project Ceremony, October 18th, 2023
How to Apply
Applications are currently closed
Applications for the Caminos Class of 2027 are now closed.
If you are a teen who is passionate about pursuing a creative career, have a good work ethic and are excited about the idea of becoming an Ambassador of Latin American art and culture in Austin, Texas, then Caminos is right for you. If you missed this application season, please look out for our next round of applications Spring 2027.
Find more information about this paid internship opportunity on this page, or email caminos@austintexas.gov with a message titled "Caminos Class of 2027". Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have!
Ana Sofia Villegas Granados
Bradley Bonilla-Sanchez
Catalina Rebolloso Mexquitic
Conce Olivares Reyes
Miguel Doria
Ruby Rocha Quihuiz
David Salas
Aiden Rodriguez (2nd Year)
Camila Diaz (2nd Year)
Levi King (2nd Year)
Juliana Ramirez (Mentor)
Jayla Williams (Senderista)
Alan Martinez
Levi King
Vianey Barrera
Camila Diaz
Aiden Rodriguez
Jayla Williams
Ava Diaz
Melany Serrano-Zerpa (Senderista)
Juliana Ramirez (Senderista)
Ethan Barrera
Ruby Cerda Lopez
Ania Gomez
Diego Rodriguez
Odette Rodriguez
Melany Serrano Zerpa
Juliana Ramirez
Milo Gutierrez
Maya Graves
Kiana Leon
Alexander Reyes
Juan Vargas
Justin Gonzalez
Yadira Ramos
Adella Carcione (Senderista)
Adamaris Olivares-Lopez
Adella Carcione
Andy Castro-Gautier
Asha Bahiyyih Galvan
Evelyn M. Sandoval Oliva
Luci Garza
Gabriella I. Jimenez Plasencia
Maria Hernandez
Nirmiti Kerkar
Sophia A. Garza
Ana Sofia Villegas Granados
Bradley Bonilla-Sanchez
Catalina Rebolloso Mexquitic
Conce Olivares Reyes
Miguel Doria
Ruby Rocha Quihuiz
David Salas
Aiden Rodriguez (2nd Year)
Camila Diaz (2nd Year)
Levi King (2nd Year)
Juliana Ramirez (Mentor)
Jayla Williams (Senderista)
Alan Martinez
Levi King
Vianey Barrera
Camila Diaz
Aiden Rodriguez
Jayla Williams
Ava Diaz
Melany Serrano-Zerpa (Senderista)
Juliana Ramirez (Senderista)
Ethan Barrera
Ruby Cerda Lopez
Ania Gomez
Diego Rodriguez
Odette Rodriguez
Melany Serrano Zerpa
Juliana Ramirez
Milo Gutierrez
Maya Graves
Kiana Leon
Alexander Reyes
Juan Vargas
Justin Gonzalez
Yadira Ramos
Adella Carcione (Senderista)
Adamaris Olivares-Lopez
Adella Carcione
Andy Castro-Gautier
Asha Bahiyyih Galvan
Evelyn M. Sandoval Oliva
Luci Garza
Gabriella I. Jimenez Plasencia
Maria Hernandez
Nirmiti Kerkar
Sophia A. Garza
Juan Moreno
Emma San Miguel
Amy Hernandez-Mata
Edan Tapia-Lugo
Sabrina Peña
Onyx Ramirez
Lluvia Azul
Sol Segura
Greylen Pereira
Paola Dominguez Escobar
Jaime Castro-Gautier (Senderista)
Marina Petrovic Kinzy (Senderista)
Nilmarie Gonzalez-Ugarte (Senderista)
Amy Pichardo-Marquez
Giselle Muniz
Elizabeth Diaz Donjuan
Nilmarie Gonzalez-Ugarte
Keona D. Redmon
Coral Rolon
Steve Andres Santiago
Itzel Soto-Ferate
Ethan Estrada-Stroud
Jaime Castro-Gautier
Marina Petrovic Kinzy
Ariel Sandoval
Marisa Rangel
Daniela Santiago
Clarissa Meléndez
Roman Alexander Morris
Anthony Perez
Lili Castillo
Lizeth Karina Espino
Diana Milk-Batista
Abraham Hernandez
Ana Chavez
Anna C. M. Trujillo
Bianca Olivares
Brandon Muniz
Elvis Muniz
Esmeralda Rodriguez
Gaby Gonzales
Natalia Dominguez
Natalie Hernandez
Sammie Seamon
Paulina Pereira
Sarah Ruiz
Paula Monzón
Arnold Cordova
Jamie Martinez
Jesus Perez
Adrian Muniz
Ana Lizia Valdez
Karina Peña
Litzy Valdez
Jialy Barrera
Myianiche Calhoun