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Relevant Youth strives to educate our members in a way that takes them outside the classroom and gives them practical and innovative skills that will prepare them for their creative futures. RY is comprised of students from many academic majors and various creative backgrounds, which means our members have plenty of knowledge to share. We wanted to create a place where they could show their skills and impart their wisdom to the rest of the company. Thus, we created a series of workshops. Creatives of RY came together on Sunday afternoons to develop themselves professionally and creatively. We introduced our workshops upon returning to campus after winter break, so RY creatives can learn new skills alongside other members of the company and have fun while doing it. Each person in RY contributes their own unique skillset and creativity to the company, and we wanted to capitalize on the opportunity to allow members to show their skills while helping other creatives.
Our first workshop was led by RY Internal Director, John Pottebaum, and COO, Anthony Lupo. As two members of our executive board, they have a vast amount of experience in interviewing and resume writing.
Time at the workshop was spent honing members’ skills to stand out in an interview and show companies all they have to offer. Members fine-tuned their interviewing skills and got more experience in a professional setting. The other half of the workshop was spent on resumes and cover letters, so they could get recommendations and learn from other members in RY.
While some of our members excel at career building, we have many who show their creativity through visual mediums. Another executive board member Kaitlyn Weir, led a workshop the next weekend to teach members how to use Adobe Illustrator to create eye-catching visuals.
Some people at the workshop had years of experience working with Illustrator, while others joined to gain new skills. Throughout the workshop, members learned a basic understanding of Illustrator functions and navigation. RY members were also shown how to create vectors on the application to produce their final artwork. Weir showed how the lines and points create shapes in vector art that produces the final image. Everyone left the workshop with a poster they created on the application.
Weir also taught different editing skills that are useful in Adobe Illustrator and how RY members can use those functions when working on creative projects. Weir also gave ideas about how to problem solve through creative blocks. Workshops were cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but members are still finding ways to stay creative and continue learning throughout this time. We can’t wait to see what next year's workshops will bring, and we are excited to hear from more of our talented members to keep learning and preparing for future creative ventures.