I can ’ t even begin to describe my experiences at Wide Angle , but I will say that they are all positive things ! I ’ ve never been treated like a true adult in a working environment before . My supervisors and staff members provided me with such a warm and welcoming home , and genuinely wanted to see me accomplish the goals I had expressed . Unlike other internships , I was given the chance ( and trust ) to be in charge of classroom days , social media , and event planning . Wide Angle saw my desire to do more than “ no one wants to do this , so let ’ s give it to the intern ” work and gave me the chance to sincerely engage with young people .
I ’ ve gotten the privilege of working with over 30 students in our MediaWorks program , where I helped students produce video , graphic design , and photo work for clients . Although our students ’ client work is impressive , I think their personal growth sticks with me the most . We ’ ve had our fair share of fun moments in terms of learning professionalism . This includes an activity where I had students practice calling each other , which ended up in a lot of silly scenarios thrown at them and interesting responses ( like lots of nervous hang-ups and laughter ) as they tried to navigate it in a professional manner . I ’ ve witnessed students who had no prior media experience gain a whole new respect for media and the arts . This was exemplified best from a student who voiced on the very first day that she didn ’ t care for our work because it was “ not as hard as medicine ,” which was the field she sought to go into . By the end of our program , she spoke about how her behind-the-scenes experience of video work made her realize that much more effort and thought goes into the whole process and how impactful a video message can be on addressing community issues and that she is now considering doing some video work as a hobby while she studies medicine .
Community Partner : Wide Angle Youth Media Intern : Nancy Zhang Site Supervisor : Tia Price
What is Wide Angle Youth Media ? Wide Angle Youth Media is a 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit organization that provides Baltimore youth with media education to tell their own stories and become engaged with their communities . Through quality after-school programming , inschool opportunities , summer workshops , community events , and an annual Youth Media Festival , Wide Angle supports young people making a difference through media .
But my favorite memory of this entire experience was watching all of our students represent the talented young professionals that they are at our Closing Ceremony . Within five weeks they transitioned from downright refusing to present to showing up at our event with huge smiles and their Sunday ’ s Best on because they were proud of everything they had done . I watched these once-nervous students present with confidence -- eye contact , booming voices and memorized lines ! Going into CIIP , I knew I would undergo a life changing experience , but I could never have prepared myself for this level of change ; I ’ m extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to work with so many remarkable people in Baltimore .
• Taught high-school and college-aged youth about professionalism , including interview etiquette , cover letters , and public speaking
• Organized community events , upcoming programs and workshops , ranging from outlining meeting dates , agendas , setup , and locations
• Created a classroom organization system to track attendance and individual growth
51