In Spring 2020 ad agencies shut down their paid internship programs in response to Covid. This was a heavy blow for CUNY students who not only lost the opportunity to launch their careers - they also lost their ability to help pay their families’ bills as they were laid off from front-line jobs.
Ad professors and professionals sprang into action to help. I founded Save The Internships, using my industry contacts to convince NYC ad agencies to set up virtual internships for talented CUNY students. I also partnered with Keni Thacker, who created a virtual agency experience - The G.R.O.W.T.H. Initiative - virtually overnight.
Thacker rallied the BIPOC community. He reached out to 100 Roses From Concrete (which he also founded) - a platform where people of color in the advertising industry connect, collaborate, and grow together. Thanks to these seasoned pros, plus industry guest speakers, the Ad Club NY, and STI, summer was NOT canceled for a select group of 40+ multicultural college students, called GIFs (GROWTH Initiative Fellows). Over the course of eight weeks, the GIFs learned the industry ropes and applied those lessons to create ad campaigns for real-life nonprofit clients.
The inaugural program was a success, with 100% of the GIFs landing an internship or entry level-job within one year of graduating from G.R.O.W.T.H. So Thacker decided to do it again in 2021. This time we started early. I began designing the curriculum in January. The goal: create a summer program that reflects industry best practices; providing a guide for the GIFs as they develop a strategy, ideate concepts, and produce a campaign for their nonprofit clients.
The program, now in its fifth year, combines teams of GIFs (Growth Initiative Fellows) who operate as a cross-disciplinary mini ad agency consisting of account management, project management, creative team (copywriter and art director), PR, and production. A team of moderators supervises each team’s progress. Each GIF is also supported by two mentors throughout the process.
In just eight weeks, the 2021 G.R.O.W.T.H. teams develop a full campaign for their client, which included a PSA, digital outdoor, and supporting social media. All of the PSAs are produced and aired with the support of Plowshare. Digital outdoor is also produced and placed thanks to Fyeye.
In addition to the campaign development part of the program, there are two weeks of “Prep School” to help make the GIFs even more business ready. The GIFs receive tips and training designed to help make their resumes, LinkedIn, and websites more professional, and to help them map out a job search and networking plan.
The culmination of the program is graduation day when the G.R.O.W.T.H. fellows present their work to the entire community - Moderators, Mentors, GROWTH staff, Roses, guest speakers, and clients. Then they’re presented with Life After GROWTH Awards to recognize those who worked the hardest and grown the most in ten short weeks. Multiple GIFs are awarded cash stipends. Others get the chance to interview for internships, apprenticeships and entry-level jobs at a variety of agencies and brands.
To date, the G.R.O.W.T.H. Initiative has helped hundreds of GIFs launch their careers. The organization continues to offer its virtual summer agency program in 2024.