Connected Ink-Art School Careers

Three Takeaways from BRIC Foundation’s Connected Ink 2022 Education Session

February 27, 2023

Founded in 2018 by Alison Mann, Nicole Hendrix, and Jill Gilbert, the BRIC Foundation is a non-profit company dedicated to increasing representation in Entertainment, Gaming, Media and Tech.

During Connected Ink 2022, Wacom hosted a panel discussion featuring Nicole Hendrix, co-founder of BRIC, along with Allison Frenzel, an education programs specialist with the California Department of Education’s High School Innovations and Initiatives Office, Simone Price, manager of social impact at Dolby Labs, and Ri-Karlo Handy, a producer and director of music videos, commercials, films, and documentaries.

Check out the recording of the session below, as well as some takeaways from the session from Wacom’s Education Specialist.

How to prepare students for future careers in the creative arts

This session was a wide-ranging and in-depth discussion of career opportunities and the school-to-career pathways being built for the arts, media and entertainment industries.

From essential skills students need to the necessity of securing that first internship, apprenticeship and first job, to the need to provide training and professional development for media and arts teachers, this session set the stage for a new perspective on making critical connections between career and technical education and the film, media, and gaming industries. At the end of the presentation, each presenter provided a list of resources that will help students, educators, and parents alike.

Essential skills creative industries need — and schools need to be teaching:

  • Broad, trans-disciplinary approach
  • Design thinking
  • Relationship-building
  • Adaptive leadership
  • Ability to learn new technology quickly
  • Community building
  • Data science skills
  • Flexibility
  • New media literacy
  • Digital and data storytelling
  • Being agile, curiosity about technologies in creative industries
  • Perseverance
  • Independent work ethic
  • Ability to navigate the world and “figure it out”
  • Some industry / workplace competencies
  • Passion, curiosity, dedication
  • Lifelong learner

Insider tips for getting into creative industries:

  1. The younger students are when they start exploring, the farther ahead they’ll be when they enter the industry
  2. It’s very important to communicate your ideas and demonstrate you can collaborate creatively
  3. Developing a network of mentors and maintaining those relationships, with strategic, authentic follow-up, is key
  4. Students and program leaders shouldn’t be afraid to reach out and ask to connect
  5. Technology moves fast — being a lifelong learner, particularly around software and tools, is essential
  6. Entertainment is a competency-based industry…a student’s ability to learn and build a skill will open opportunities
  7. Educators can reach out to companies — usually their social impact, community outreach, and HR teams — to learn about and/or establish programs and opportunities for their students
  8. Creative media and arts organizations need to provide more information about available career paths and specialties, and the powerful (but still unknown) opportunities that are available — teacher, student, and parent prompting can help this happen
  9. Parents need information and education about media and entertainment career opportunities, so they feel better about supporting their children’s career goals and aspirations
  10. Creative arts build critical transferable skills for students … arts education is career-readiness!

The truth about career and technical pathways in media and entertainment:

  1. Industry engagement is essential for an effective Career and Technical Education (CTE) program
  2. Programs like apprenticeship programs and arts-to-work programs are crucial
  3. School-to-career pipelines are beginning to evolve and develop, but are not yet widespread
  4. Career discovery is an essential part of CTE teaching and learning — this connects classroom learning with career opportunities and directions
  5. Exposure and access to industry professionals is critical for students, as well as for their teachers
  6. Teaching and training teachers can have amplified impact for students — this helps assure that students have industry-standard skills
  7. Stronger programs for more students also helps to diversify and strengthen the media and entertainment industry as well
  8. Certificates and/or badges that demonstrate competencies and/or skills are now often as valuable for companies as diplomas!

Want to learn more about the BRIC Foundation? You can view the entire panel discussion on the Connected Ink YouTube channel. You can also visit their website for more information.

Related posts:

Wacom Connected Ink 2023 is nearly over. Check out the upcoming session or catch up on what you missed

Wacom Connected Ink 2023 is nearly over. Check out the upcoming session or catch up on what you missed

Fostering Success Together: Seven Ways to Engage Parents and Students in Digital Arts Career and Technical Education 

Fostering Success Together: Seven Ways to Engage Parents and Students in Digital Arts Career and Technical Education 

Connected Ink Recap: The PAR Lab’s innovative climate change animation project

Connected Ink Recap: The PAR Lab’s innovative climate change animation project

Supporting military heroes for Veteran’s Day and all year

Supporting military heroes for Veteran’s Day and all year

Connect with Wacom on social media

Someone else craving a Matcha fish? 🍦🐠

Thank you @patrick_4d for showing us the behind the work of your amazing art 🎨

#3dart #conceptartist #digitalpainting
616 7
We’re excited to announce that Panchita!! premieres tomorrow! Thank you to @weareunsaid and all partners who worked on this labor of love, a short film based on a true experience from a volunteer who got to see the reality lived every day in informal settlements. Look out for the link tomorrow in our reels and stories highlights. 💙⁣
⁣
#madewithwacom #unsaidstudio #panchitamovie #panchita
212 2
Embrace creativity on-the-go with the new Wacom One. 🚀⁣
⁣
Sketch your ideas in a coffee shop or any spot that inspires you! 🎨 ☕⁣
⁣
Your studio is wherever you are 💫⁣
⁣
Where is your favorite place to draw?⁣
⁣
#Artistlife #Creativity #Creativeinspiration #Artistsinsight
218 1
#WacomSale alert! 📣🛍️🛒⁣
Know of someone dreaming of a Wacom? Save $80 USD on Wacom #IntuosPro right now! Head over to our USA estore to find out more - visit the link in our bio! ⁣
#WacomIntuosPro #IntuosPro #WacomTablet #WacomNews⁣
#Wacom #GiftGuide
163 0
Five mobile games you didn't know you could play using #WacomOne 😏🎮⁣
@apolloscelticswan 🤘🏼
#wacom #gaming #gamer #gamertok #cozygames
542 5
Ever dreamed of starting your carreer as an artist but don’t know where to start? @janwischermann  professional photo retoucher, shares a pearl of wisdom for all you emerging artists out there. ✨

Take that first step with the Wacom One and see where it takes you. Discover more in the link in bio!

#CreativeInspiration #Photoretouching #Artistsinsights
245 9
🎉 A heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who made Connected Ink event 2023 an unforgettable celebration of creativity! 🚀✨

Let’s keep the creative sparks alive and enjoy this awesome after-event movie! 🔥✨

See you next year!

#ConnectedInk #CreativeChaos
389 15
Many artists start with traditional tools before they switch to digital, and transitioning can feel daunting and even scary - making them delay it. ⁣
But is it ever too late to start? ⁣
Our friend @apolloscelticswan has some words of wisdom for those starting "late" in digital art. ⁣
When did you make the transition to digital? Was it scary? What helped you?⁣
Let us know in the comments 👇⁣
#DigitalArt #DigitalArtist #WacomTablet #MadeWithWacom #ArtistLife
2800 27
A little piece of the creative process of @amanda.ninji_illustration 💫

We love to see the work behind the final piece ❤️ 

Share yours with the hashtag #MadewithWacom so we can feature you next!

#Cintiq16 #conceptartist #digitalpainting
684 7