The Warsaw Area Career Center’s Advanced Digital Media class has successfully completed a significant project in collaboration with Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana. Over several months, the students crafted a professional-grade, three-minute video designed to inform local businesses about the innovative JA Here to CareerTM program.
The JA Here to Career program is a cutting-edge initiative aimed at connecting local businesses with high school talent in the region. Through an online self-assessment, ninth and tenth-grade students can identify their interests and inherent skills, which in turn guides and connects them to available local career opportunities with companies in their preferred fields.
Under the guidance of instructor Scott Greene, the Digital Media students met repeatedly with representatives from Junior Achievement to define the project’s scope thoroughly. They invested several days recording interviews and capturing essential footage, both locally and at the Junior Achievement regional headquarters in Fort Wayne.
Scott Greene shared, “It’s great to see the students come alongside local organizations like Junior Achievement. They are not only serving the community but also producing work that rivals professional production companies. Junior Achievement recognized this quality, and now the students’ video will be utilized not just locally and regionally, but potentially on a national scale through JA USA.”
Ben Barkey, Principal of the Warsaw Area Career Center, added, “Our partnership with Junior Achievement and their program, JA Here to Career is an excellent example of our career classes collaborating with local industry to produce real live applications that have broad impact. It is so important for students to have these experiences because it creates a rich learning environment and gives them purpose. The Warsaw Area Career Center is thankful for our community partners like Junior Achievement.”
This project not only showcases the capabilities of the students at the Warsaw Area Career Center but also exemplifies the potential of collaborative efforts between educational institutions and community organizations to foster local talent and economic development.