NEW YORK, N.Y.- This September the Whitney Museum of American Art has been awarded a $200,000 National Leadership Grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services for a three-year research project to investigate the long-term impact of its teen programs. For this research project the Whitney is collaborating with the Walker Art Center, the Contemporary Art Museum Houston, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. All four institutions offer teen programs that have been in existence for more than a decade and provide a diverse group of participants the opportunity to learn about art, go behind the scenes at each institution, and take on leadership roles within the museum and in their community. Program staff have witnessed the short-term, immediate benefits that the teens experience during their tenure in each programthe programs broaden students perspectives and sense of self