uOttawa RBC COOP Work Term in Review: May 2018
It has been a month since starting my coop work term that #defiestheconventional with Hot Shoe Productions and Youth Active Media. Huge thanks goes out to my community partners Youth Ottawa and the Social Planning Council for being wonderful supports during this period of adjustment to the job. Working with them, I’ve been excited to get out of bed everyday and tackle challenges head on. I’d also like to thank uOttawa and RBC for making this COOP term a possibility.
This is the first of four blog posts that I’ll be writing to share my experience. Let’s hit the ground running!
The idea for this social enterprise idea emerged from a video production program called Youth Active Media by Youth Ottawa and the Social Planning Council. The program focuses on teaching basic filmmaking / video production techniques, skills and applications in business and art to youth from priority areas in socio-economic need. Over three years, we have reached over 400 youth with the program. Hot Shoe Productions is staffed by youth who are trained through YAM and has since hired on 30 youth staff.
The work plan:
The original plan for my work term had been to explore a new revenue stream for Hot Shoe Productions by running a video production summer camp. Unfortunately, we were unable to secure the Canada Summer Jobs Grants required to support it. Then what?
Well, my work-term went from leading my own entrepreneurial endeavour within an existing organization, to an immersive experience working in all aspects of a social enterprise.
The biggest learning curve: learning the technical aspect of all the video production equipment, from shooting and editing to sound and lighting. Luckily, I’ve had some great mentors; with these new-found skills, I’ve been able to increase my involvement in the social enterprise and the delivery of its training program.
Caption: Planning a Sizzling event
What I’m most excited for: I can’t say too much, but my main project for the first half of the term involves an planning an event to celebrate the rebranding of Youth Active Media’s social enterprise as Hot Shoe Productions — stay tuned for more!
While this term is off to an unexpected start, I think this quote by entrepreneur Sophia Amuroso sums up how I’ve addressed it by rolling with the punches:
While I truly believe that you must have intentions to fulfil your dreams I also think that you have to leave room for the universe to have its way and play around a bit. Don’t get so focused on one opportunity that you’re blind to others that come up. If you think about one thing, and talk about it all the time you’re being too obsessive. You might ruin it. If you let yourself meander a bit, then the right things and the right people fall into place.
Sophia Amoruso, Founder of Nasty Gal, GirlBoss
Until next time!
Kristine
