In celebration of National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), which is taking place Nov. 13 – 19, 2023, RE:IMAGINE, will be participating in a panel hosted by Alliance for Media Arts + Culture, kicking off their annual fundraising campaign, and highlighting success stories throughout the week. RE:IMAGINE is a leading education and workforce development organization in the film and media industries. The organization’s mission is to make a difference in the lives of non-traditional students who experience barriers to employment, by providing training to develop hard and soft skills.

“Apprenticeships are an innovative way to help secure training and work for young people who are disconnected from traditional colleges and universities [for a variety of reasons],” says Julie Straw, RE:IMAGINE’s executive director. “Even though apprenticeships have existed for a long time, our model has redefined the success of apprenticeships in the media and film landscape. We do this through our own employment enterprise, where we function as a creative agency providing production services, and with our network of employer partners that we've built over the years.” 

During this week, RE:IMAGINE is shining a spotlight on the significant impact of its EMERGE Apprenticeship Program. The comprehensive initiative goes beyond traditional training, providing free career exposure, job training, and placement opportunities for youth and young adults aged 18-24 in the film and creative media industry. The program not only addresses the immediate need for skilled professionals, but also acts as a catalyst for diversity and inclusion in the creative sector.

“Apprentices are working at RE:IMAGINE’s employment social enterprise - RE:IMAGINE PRODUCTIONS - doing client-based work and impact storytelling for philanthropies like The Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta and corporations like Microsoft,” says Straw.

Year-to-date apprentices have earned over $113,000 working with RE:IMAGINE’s production company. The economic impact of this initiative is fueling on-the-job training and helping youth who are disconnected from traditional educational models. They can work to build their portfolio and learn the necessary skills to thrive.

A former apprentice expressed how the program has given them life-changing opportunities. Kennya Simms has had steady work in the film industry since graduating from the program in 2021, “Since being a part of RE:IMAGINE, I've had the opportunity to professionally work on a variety of projects ranging from sporting events to feature films. Each one provided its own unique set of objectives, teams, standards, and learning requirements necessary for my filmmaking development.”

For more information about RE:IMAGINE, visit: https://reimagineatl.com 

National Apprenticeship Week Activities:

GivingTuesday: Fostering the Future of Storytelling

November 13 – 28^th, 2023

On GivingTuesday, November 28, RE:IMAGINE invites to join this national giving movement and directly support their apprentices.  By investing in RE:IMAGINE on GivingTuesday, supporters will be directly supporting the scholarship of four apprentices and will helping reduce barriers for youth receiving free resources. Join RE:IMAGINE in making a profound community impact by investing in the apprenticeship model. The fundraising page is now open at https://www.gagives.org/organization/Reimagine-Atl. 

RE:IMAGINE Success Stories

November 13 – 17, 2023

RE:IMAGINE is a prominent education and workforce development organization dedicated to equipping the next generation of representative storytellers in the film and media industries. Since 2014, the organization has invested in over 5,000 youth from more than 45 schools, with a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and creating pathways to success in Georgia's thriving film and creative media sector. Read our success stories that will be released daily this week: reimagineatl.com/blog 

Panel: UNLOCKING CREATIVITY: Media, Justice and the Future of Apprenticeship

November 12, 2023

11AM PT/2PM ET

Hosted by the Alliance for Media Arts + Culture and Arts2Work

Unlocking Creativity is an Alliance Community of Practice supporting collaborations between arts and culture organizations and media artists from across the country working with currently and formerly incarcerated individuals and justice-impacted youth. RE:IMAGINE will be part of a national conversation focused on the challenges we face, the gaps that need closing, and what the future holds if Apprenticeship is to truly serve returning citizens. All are invited. To register for the event, click here 

Interview Opportunities:

Julie Straw, Executive Director of RE:IMAGINE

Kennya Simms, Apprentice

Emily Kuester, Director of Workforce Development, RE:IMAGINE