Summer 2020 Teen Internship Recap
Last summer, 42 teen girls and their mentors got to work.
While we couldn’t all get together in person at camp like we wanted, what we built in camp’s place is nothing short of mind-blowing: a testament to how unstoppable girls are, even in the face of, say, a global pandemic.
HIGHLIGHTS
of our interns felt like their choices made a difference, and also consistently felt safe to express themselves.
of our interns felt that this internship creates an environment where they feel comfortable being authentically themselves while still proactively supporting each other.
of our interns came out of this program feeling like they could better appreciate opinions that were different from their own.
of our interns agreed that they’re now more likely to actively seek out the opinions of others when working on group projects, allowing them to contribute as both confident leaders and community-minded teammates at the same time.
MENTORS & SPECIAL GUESTS
“I could not ask for a better group of people to work with. Not only did this internship make me feel like all of my work and accomplishments were valid, it helped me network and build professional relationships and friendships I will cherish forever. I had the opportunity to talk to so many people from different places and different walks of life with different stories, cultures, religions, etc. It gave a whole new meaning to the word ‘intersectionality.’ Thank you so much, Girls Rock, for helping me make the best of this summer.”
–Genesis, podcasting intern
VIEW CREATIVE WORK
Here’s a taste of what our teen interns accomplished in just seven short weeks in the tracks of Record Label, Recording Artist, Social Media, Journalism, Photography, and Podcasting.
Come back soon as more work goes live for the masses to enjoy.
CREATIVE TRACK PORTFOLIOS
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of our interns affirmed they got to decide (self-direct) their activities and goals and afterward felt proud of their contributions.
of our interns already felt like they belonged within days of the internship’s launch.
of our interns are leaving this program with more pride in both their race/ethnic group and their gender.
of our interns have developed skills in this program that they’re confident will help them in their future careers, including technical skills in music, media, and the arts, as well as life skills like respectful collaboration/compromise, professional communication, and time management.
“The internship has taught me so much, from editing skills to how to get a job. But the biggest lesson I learned is how big of an impact a photo can make. A single photo essay can tell the stories of thousands and fight for racial justice, and a photo used for street art can start a feminist revolution… For whatever the future of photography holds for me, I know I will take everything I learned from Girls Rock with me, which is so much.”
–Esmé, photography intern
The following music videos represent the internship for what it really evolved into: six unique tracks working side by side to amplify the voices of teen girls and gender-expansive youth in spaces that often undervalue female-identifying voices—spaces like the music industry. Creating and releasing these music videos involved every track—from Photography to Social Media—with Syryn Records as the focal point, project-managing the collaboration and progress. For example, the Recording Artist, Record Label, and Photography interns shared their goals and unique visions to create the videos together, keeping in mind each individual artist’s branding. Once the videos were created, the Record Label interns worked with the Social Media, Journalism, and even Podcasting interns to coordinate efforts (marketing, interviews, press releases, etc.) to drum up excitement over the songs’ and videos’ release…
From start to finish, these videos (and so much more of this internship) highlight our teens’ passion for working together as empathetic leaders in order to create the kind of music industry they’re proud to be part of. An industry and record label founded on supporting each other’s visions and putting young artists at the forefront of their own creation. Please enjoy these fruits of Syryn Records’ collaborative and totally youth-directed labor.
KEEP THIS PROGRAM GOING
Even in a locked-down world, these teen interns have already helped change the status quo of the music industry to make it that much more accessible to female-identifying voices. Only you, our supporters, can make sure this paid internship program’s completely youth-driven, artist-centric work keeps going. Donate today.
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