30 Young People Graduate from Venice Arts' Film + Digital Media Career Pathways pilot program!

Students gathered at the graduation ceremony

Congratulations to the 30 young people who graduated from our Film and Digital Media Career Pathways pilot, designed at the behest of Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (BOS) and Los Angeles County Workforce Development, Aging, and Community Services (WDACS).

In a ceremony on June 26, Senator Ben Allen, WDACS Director José Perez, and industry professionals gathered to celebrate their achievements. Graduates received a Certificate of Commendation from the State Senate, as well as a diploma in short-form Digital Media Content Creation, representing proficiency in digital media pre-production, production, and post-production including digital media management, video workflow, camera operation, shot and lighting design, audio recording, editing.

This four-part pilot program—from exposure to industry career pathways, through training and internship placement—was designed for Los Angeles County's low-income, creative young people, ages 16-25, with priority given to former or current foster, homeless, and/or justice involved youth.

Senator Ben Allen speaks to the graduates

Diplomas acknowledging graduates’ work in Digital Media Content Creation

Over 400 young people enrolled in the program, with 150 applicants for the 30 training slots. 17 have already been placed in paid internships, with more placements planned for the fall, and all students continue to have access to creative career mentoring and summer Master Classes. 

According to Amber Bolden, who hopes to be a producer, and who has been a part of Venice Arts programs since 2012, this program offered her the ability to "...connect with people... experiencing them and their creativity and their view of the world..." She also found the program mentoring extremely helpful, and says, "Throughout the whole process of being here, I have felt welcomed and I’ve felt empowered to get my story out." 

The growth these students have undergone is amplified by the confidence they have gained. Student Ashley Gonzalez says, "I have been able to really dive deep into who I am and what are my skills, and how to heighten those skills... [I feel that] I have been able to add value to the projects that I’ve worked on.” Angelica "Jelly" Rose concurs, "I appreciate the space that everyone has created for someone like me, who likes to express themselves...I am really proud of myself...I'm going to [pass it forward].

Learn more about the program HERE
To learn about joining the fall program, email crystel@venicearts.org