Fabrication Internship at 37ECB: Creative Pathways to Innovative Careers
We are excited about an opportunity that brings two of our programs together to create post-secondary pathways for the young people in our programs. The Fabrication Internship at our partner site, 37ECB, connects students in the ARTS 4 Justice and ARTS @ Work programs to highlight design thinking, project-based learning, and professional development opportunities.
37ECB is a Community School under the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) for students in grades 7-12. The school offers both independent studies and traditional classroom studies along with Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways such as culinary arts, barista training, and entrepreneurship.
Our ARTS 4 Justice Coordinator, Amanda Castro, recaps the first phase of this unique internship project as we prepare for the second phase during the upcoming fall session.
Over the Spring and Summer sessions, the ARTS 4 Justice program and ARTS @ Work program, in partnership with San Diego County of Education and Artist & Exile, launched a paid internship at our partnership site 37ECB. During the internship, students worked together to plan, design, and install murals and metal signage noting the name of the school. As paid interns, the four students spent time with the ARTS team completing an extensive onboarding process to become paid members at ARTS.
Working together with Teaching Artists Ross and Alma from Artist & Exile, the interns started by spending time ideating about the design of the public-facing murals, the fonts of the metal sign, and reflecting on the values of their school and community. The group took a walking tour of the businesses and architecture surrounding their school in City Heights to gain perspective on the kinds of signage and designs found in their community that could inspire their school’s design. Following the tour, they worked together to find fonts and other design elements they felt spoke to their experience at the school. The interns continued their efforts through surveying the school’s teachers, administrative staff, and students to ensure their design proposals reflected the community as a whole. The students visited the ARTS Center’s Makerspace to create mock-ups of their designs to present to multiple stakeholders, including their school principal, vice principal, teachers, administrative staff, students, and community members at 37ECB. With some preparation from Ross, Alma, and Amanda, the students presented their design ideas to three groups of stakeholders and received feedback from the community.
In addition to their work on the fabrication project, the interns also participated in a professional development opportunity by attending a Resume Building workshop created by Amanda and Monica, ARTS People & Culture Coordinator. Through this opportunity, they learned how to build a resume, tailor it to the job they are seeking, and learn tips and tools for how to search for and apply to job openings.
The internship will continue into its second phase during the Fall Session, during which the interns will spend time in the ARTS Center’s Makerspace fabricating and then installing the sign and murals at 37ECB.
Impactful projects like these emphasize the importance of providing a platform for young people to become creative agents and lead designers of their spaces of belonging. And with the support of our partners, this skill-building branches into future creative careers for the youth. Stay tuned for our upcoming fall session update as the Fabrication Interns begin building out their ideas to create permanent, inspiring fixtures in their community!
