Due to heavy rain in the forecast, tonight’s High Line Tour: From Freight to Flowers has been canceled. We look forward to seeing you on a future tour!
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Where are they now? High Line Fellow Kymberli Smith
About the High Line Fellows: Emerging Leaders Program
Our goal is to make this the best first job experience for NYC youth, with an impact that outlasts their time in the program. Fellows join the program as high school sophomores and continue through their senior year, with opportunities and responsibilities deepening over their tenure. Post-program engagement continues through an alumni program.
Fellows are:
- Paid for up to 200 hours each year for their time, which includes workshops, intensives, and summer residencies, with a starting pay of $18/hour
- Supported through mentorship, networking, and career exploration
- Exposed to a variety of career pathways
- Encouraged to grow as leaders and emerging professionals
- Empowered to make a direct and lasting impact on the High Line and the surrounding community
This program combines:
- Leadership development
- Social and emotional learning (SEL)
- Mentorship and networking
- Career awareness and readiness for post-secondary education
- Four in-depth learning pathways
We value cultural diversity and prioritize applicants who would benefit most from this opportunity.
Job applications for the program are typically accepted from early October to early November, with the new cohort starting in January.
If you have questions, please email us at emergingleaders@thehighline.org or add your email below to stay updated:
Four Learning Pathways
Each year, Fellows choose two of four pathways to shape their High Line experience:
- Arts & Culture
Explore creative practices and social contexts while engaging with the High Line’s world-class art program and NYC’s wider arts landscape. - Civic Engagement
Learn about how city government works, explore urban planning and community engagement, participate in local youth advocacy, and connect with other youth leaders across NYC. - Horticulture
Engage with our world-class gardens, learn about climate change and biodiversity, explore landscape architecture, and develop plant knowledge across the five boroughs. - Park & Visitor Experience
Develop leadership through planning events, learning hospitality and park operations, and helping to organize the annual High Line Teen Night.
Alumni Network
Our support doesn’t end when Fellows graduate.
Alumni gain access to:
- Ongoing professional development workshops
- Networking events and opportunities
- Opportunities to shape High Line programs through family events, community fairs, and public programs
'' Whether joining the High Line for a possible career path or just to have a fun extracurricular, the word ‘joy’ fits in both categories. It is such an enjoyable experience and one that I will never forget. '
Meet the 2026 High Line Fellows
Support
Lead support for the High Line Fellows: Emerging Leaders Program is provided by the Jamie and Jeffrey Harris Family Foundation.
Major support is provided by Sarah Min and Matt Pincus. Program support is provided by Accenture, Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, and KKR. Additional support is provided by The Fine & Greenwald Foundation, Frederica and Efrem Sigel, and Gina Sohn and Greg Lee.
The High Line Fellows: Emerging Leaders Program is made possible, in part, with endowment funds from the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation.
The High Line Fellows: Emerging Leaders Program is supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council, under the leadership of Speaker Julie Menin.
