LEARNIf You Can See It, You Can Be It: Inspiring LA’s Youth With 24 Videos Featuring LA’s Diverse Tech and Digital Marketing Talent
“If you can see it, you can be it." Gladeo will produce 24 inspirational career videos and career pathway profiles of diverse professionals at LA’s top tech & digital marketing companies, expanding our library of career content on Gladeo.org, our free “ Virtual Career Day” platform which has served over 1 million students. The content is created with our Gladeo League, our work-placed learning internship program which trains/mentors first-gen media creators from LA’s community college system.
Please list the organizations collaborating on this proposal.
Bixel Exchange of the LA Chamber of Commerce
Dentsu Aegis Network
Briefly tell us a story that demonstrates how your organization turns inspiration into impact.
Not only does Gladeo.org help the students that directly use the platform online but it is also a resource for youth development and community-based nonprofits in LA County and around the country to supplement and amplify their impact. Here’s a testimonial from one of our partners:
“The reason Gladeo is so important to us is because through Gladeo’s career exploration workshop and free “Virtual Career Day”platform, they are able to paint a picture of what it means to dream boldly and never let circumstances hinder their career and education aspirations. Many of our students come from a low socioeconomic background. Their parents’ English is minimal. There aren’t too many books in the house. Both parents (if living with both parents) work full time. They relocate frequently because of income instability. These factors justify their way of having “survival mentality” and with that mindset, education or the future isn’t something they often think about. “That’s for the other kids from the suburbs.” Gladeo sets the tone for CLH in that these kids are instilled within them the confidence to dream big and to step out of their fears. Gladeo’s workshop and free online career platform which provide very practical tools to achieving specific career dreams helps our students step out of the ambiguity of "it’s too much work", to the practicalities of “I can do it one step at a time”. Every student who graduated from our first year cohort is now attending college. CLH and Gladeo played a HUGE role in that.” Steven Yu, Executive Director, Connect Lincoln Heights (CLH)
Connect Lincoln Heights (CLH) is a youth development non-profit that connects Lincoln Heights HS students with mentors who are living out their career aspirations, provide the platform for mentorship to take place through monthly personal development workshops, develop a community service project that addresses a need in their community utilizing the profession of their mentor.
Which of the LEARN metrics will your submission impact?
College and community college completion rates
Youth unemployment and underemployment
Student education pipeline
In which areas of Los Angeles will you be directly working?
Central LA
East LA
San Gabriel Valley
San Fernando Valley
South LA
Westside
South Bay
Antelope Valley
County of Los Angeles
City of Los Angeles
How will your project make LA the best place to LEARN?
Project Execution and Timeline
- Gladeo League Recruitment (4 weeks): Work with the career services department of LA’s community colleges to select 12 interns to join our Gladeo League: 8 Video Producers, 4 Reporters
- Gladeo League Training (3-4 weeks): They will be mentored by LA professionals working in broadcast journalism and film/video production. From Spectrum News 1, Twentieth Century Fox/Disney, KTLA and Dentsu Aegis Network.
- Content to be created: 24 Inspirational Career videos, 24 Accompanying Comprehensive Career Profiles
- Pre-Production (4-6 weeks): Our partner, LA Chamber of Commerce Bixel Exchange will recruit, vet, and coordinate the 24 interviewees for the videos and career profiles we are producing. To prepare the interviewees, Gladeo will send out pre-interview questionnaires and schedule pre-interview calls in advance of interview day.
- Production (3 months): Gladeo League interns with our staff will shoot and conduct on-camera interviews of four professionals in various roles at each of the six companies.
- Post-Production (3 months): Gladeo League members will edit the videos and profiles with the help of Gladeo’s professional staff and mentors.
- Distribution to LA/OC college and high school students: Gladeo and our collaborative partner, the LA Chamber of Commerce Bixel Exchange, will present the new videos and online resources to the school partners (19 community colleges, 30 high schools) through their email newsletter, social media, and workshops.
- We also hope to work with LA2050 to distribute our free resources to the youth non-profit partners in their network.
A 2014 report from the Public Policy Institute of California predicts that by 2025, California will have an estimated 2.5 million unfilled jobs that will require at least some postsecondary education, with Information Technology slated to be the fastest growing sector. In addition, African American and Hispanic tech workers combined make up just 5% of the tech workforce. Students of increased socio-economic status are many times gifted with career orientation early in their youth. Students of lower economic means fail to benefit from career orientation from their parents or community. So how do they aspire to and pursue careers they’ve never heard of? Our project aims to bridge the following gaps at scale:
- Information gap: What careers exist? What do they entail and what are the education and steps necessary to get your foot in the door?
- Belief gap: How many underrepresented minorities are not pursuing careers in the technology sector because they don’t see or know anyone who looks like them doing it or because they’ve been told they are not as capable?
We are working to create a world where hope and opportunity are not limited by the lack of career role models, awareness, or information. LA is a city of full of diversity, in both its people and its industry. Now, let’s see our diverse people work in all of our diverse industries!
In what stage of innovation is this project?
Expand existing program (expanding and continuing ongoing successful projects)
Please explain how you will define and measure success for your project.
There are 2 programs working in synergy so we will define and measure success separately for each program involved in this project. We will conduct students surveys after completion of the Gladeo League program and 5 days after sign up on the online platform.
1. Inspirational and Educational Multimedia Content on Gladeo.org (for community college students). Success means:
- Gladeo.org introduced you to a career or industry that you previously had little or no knowledge about.
- Gladeo.org’s career quiz matched you with at least one career that seems interesting to you.
- Gladeo.org gave you tangible advice and action steps to pursue the careers you are interested in.
- Gladeo.org helped you decide on a college major and/or help you decide on courses you should take.
- Gladeo.org increased your motivation to graduate from community college and take next steps in pursuing your dream career.
- Gladeo.org increased your hope for your future.
2. Gladeo League work-placed learning program (for community college students). Success means:
- Completed 4 solid projects which you can add to your portfolio/reel to show you have demonstrable experience in your field of interest.
- Gained contacts in your field of interest and at least 1 solid reference.
- Gained valuable experience in your media field of interest.
- Improved “power” skills like communication, resourcefulness, problem solving, flexibility, critical thinking, teamwork and time management?
- Prepared you to work in a professional environment with strict deadlines and high quality expectations.
- Increased marketability to get your first job in media/entertainment.