Anacaortes Students Job Shadow Local Filmmaker On Location At A Production Shoot In Friday Harbor

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. - June 26, 2013 - PRLog -- On a recent Wednesday morning, two 11^th grade students from Anacortes High School boarded a ferry for the San Juan Islands. They weren’t skipping school. Just the opposite. Under the auspices of the Experience Work Project, a career exploration  program administered by the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce Foundation with funding and partnership from the Northwest Workforce Development Council, Skagit Valley College and the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce, the girls accompanied Mount Vernon-based filmmaker Rebecca Murray, president of Skagit Media Marketing, as she traveled to the Friday Harbor for a video shoot.

Murray had been hired by a non-profit group, Composers in Schools (http://www.composersandschools.com/) in Concert, based in Santa Cruz, CA, to video tape a concert featuring the performance of an original composition by Composer Alex Shapiro to be played by members of the Friday Harbor High School Concert Band. The trip gave Murray the opportunity to invite the students to come with her on the production to learn about her profession.

Students Madeline Ausland and Selena Hernandez learned to handle a video camera,  perform an interview, and use a clacker to initiate a video take.

“It just showed me how many jobs there are in film, so that opens a lot of opportunities. You don’t have to be a director or a producer. There are a lot of contributing jobs,” said Madeline Ausland. “Also, it just kind of showed me that it’s possible. You don’t have to go to Hollywood and make a huge production. You can just use what you can and make something really great.”

Her classmate was equally excited about the day.

“I’m very happy that I came on this job shadow today because it opened my eyes to someone who really does this for a living,” Selena Hernandez said. “I learned that I really do want to do this for my life. I really appreciate Rebecca Murray for helping me figure this out, that I do like it.”

Although this trip was Murray’s first time hosting job shadow students, she says it won’t be her last.

“Soon after I learned of these two Anacortes students’ desire for a job shadow in film-making, CSIC contacted me about the shoot in Friday Harbor. It was one of those serendipitous happenings. Few things can substitute for real life hands-on learning. We worked hard and had a lot of fun in the process. We all learned a great deal from the experience,” Rebecca Murray said.

"The Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce plays a key role in workforce development in our community. It is our responsibility to ensure our students are graduating from highschool and post secondary education with the skills businesses need. It is also key to give an opportunity for the students to explore different job opportunities in our community. The EWP is a vital partnership between the education community and business community that benefits many people,” said Kristen Keltz, executive director of the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce.

         The Experience Work Project offers several ways for local businesses to help local students explore their interest in a possible future profession.  The goal is to encourage students to remain in school and to assist them in focusing their efforts toward future employment.  EWP currently works with middle school and high school programs throughout Skagit Valley, and with students at Skagit Valley College.

         Job Shadows: Student scheduled at work site with a specific individual (mentor) for 3-4 hours to observe. Involves an informational interview of the mentor by the student and a brief employer evaluation.

         Paid Internship: For qualifying students, a paid internship provides part-time or full-time work for up to six weeks with a supervisor/mentor. In some cases the internship is paid for by WorkSource.

         Speakers Bureau: Speaking in primary or secondary schools as requested at agreed upon time.  Also available to youth organizations and civic groups.

Unpaid Internship: Full-time work that provides on-the-job training and supervision/mentor. Period of employment as agreed upon but is usually no less than two weeks.

For more information about the program, contact coordinator Ellen Gamson at Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce at: 360-428-8547 or email iewp@experienceworkproject.com.