Teen Board Programs were first started by Steven Weisz in East Coast regional malls in 1990. This youth-oriented, volunteer program, which ran for fifteen years, provided opportunities for young men and women between the ages of thirteen to eighteen to represent and work with their local malls to produce fashion shows, create special events, and participate in community service projects.
The educational component of the program offered teen members the chance to participate in lectures, workshops, and activities dealing with various aspects of the fashion and retail industry—including modeling, retail operations, fashion design, marketing, and public relations.
Community service was a core component of the program. The Teen Boards were committed to helping others within their own communities. Throughout the year, members became involved with numerous charitable organizations in an effort to demonstrate that teens could make a meaningful difference.
With the addition of the Music & Motion Dance program in 2000, members with backgrounds in the performing arts had the opportunity to use arts and dance to build self-esteem, inspire creative self-expression, and promote community action.
The programs were a tremendous success. For the teen members, they offered a voice in their communities, a way to contribute their energies positively, a deeper understanding and respect for each other’s diverse backgrounds, and a means to increase their own sense of self-worth and confidence through the positive impact they had on their community.
For malls, developers, retailers, and individual merchants who partnered with the program, it proved to be an unparalleled relationship—providing assistance in developing marketing initiatives, creating new opportunities through special events, offering invaluable insights through small directed focus groups, and introducing a unique approach to community engagement.