As I venture forth in this new environment, sharing my thoughts about filmmaking, food and the best the Green Mountains have to offer, I find it humbling to be currently editing a video that relates to that eternal question: what do you want to be when you grow up?
Edmunds Middle School in Burlington has asked me to create a short documentary about their Career Carnival held at the end of March. This isn’t your average career fair though. Instead of students filing past vendor booths, the approach was more hands-on and allowed the kids to interact with presenters and each other in a theme-based workshop setting. Examples included Working with Metal (Iron Maiden and Judas Priest were unfortunately not a part of it), Making Music (again, no Maiden, but plenty of unique student compositions!), Criminal Investigation, and Maternal Health and Childcare, to name but a few. Students spent a morning rotating between 4 of 12 workshops in which potential careers were given real-world context.
I interviewed the organizers of the event, several kids, and Burlington Schools Superintendent, Jeanne Collins (pictured). The day was the result of many dedicated staff and community partners who saw a need to expand middle school students’ view of their potential careers. For the students, the day was really about widening their sense of themselves. I’m proud to be working on such a project and hope I can convey the uniqueness and impact of this approach to career planning.
If I’d been exposed to filmmaking in this way I may have pursued it much earlier in my life. Then again, I’d have missed out on some interesting experiences that now shape my world view. That’s food for another post!
The video should be completed shortly and will be posted here soon. Check back!