Angie Martinez
National Radio PersonalityLearn More »
Tears, laughter, and priceless knowledge of the industry during the first week of the academy.
The WEEN Academy is a 6-week crash course in the entertainment business with A-list celebrities and industry executives. The first of its kind, The WEEN Academy was developed by the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN), a non-profit global coalition of women and men committed to supporting, promoting and defending the balanced, positive portrayal of women in entertainment and society.
Thousands of young women, 18 – 22 years of age, participated in a rigorous competition for acceptance to The WEEN Academy. Our celebrity judges selected only twenty-five young women for 2012. Our goal is to identify and prepare the next entertainment industry mogul.
All WEEN Academy graduates will receive 1) official WEEN certification 2) a WEEN mentor for twelve months to support our graduate’s progress post program & 3) the top 10 performing graduates will earn an amazing entertainment internship.
WEEN ACADEMY CURRICULUM & FINAL PROJECT ASSESSMENT
Created by:
Nsenga Burton, PhD
Valeisha Butterfield
Sabrina Thompson
Lauren Lake
Kristi Henderson
WEEN ACADEMY CURRICULUM
INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE
BREAKDOWN OF THE WEEKLY TRACKS:
WEEK #1
PERSONAL BRANDING & ON-AIR TALENT DEVELOPMENT
WEEK #2
COMMUNICATIONS (PR/MARKETING)
WEEK #3
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & TALENT MANAGEMENT
WEEK #4
PHILANTHROPHY & EVENT PLANNING
WEEK #5
BUSINESS ETIQUETTE/SELF-ESTEEM
WEEK #6
COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT ASSESSMENT
INTRODUCTION
While there are many pedagogical, theoretical and practical approaches to curriculum development (product, process, experiential), the experiential learning model is an approach that works well with young people. Why? Young people like to be able to take knowledge that is gained, share it, process it and apply it in a practical way with measurable outcomes. Measurable outcomes work well for students because they can actually observe the actual outcome of their training. Measurable outcomes are great for teachers because they can use that information to figure out what works, what needs to be improved in the learning or training process and to use that information as concrete examples of outcomes for themselves and other stakeholders.
The WEEN Academy is already based on the experiential learning model by preparing young women for careers in entertainment through education, exposure, sharing information, processing information and making practical applications in real-world settings. Since this is the model of learning that WEEN has established for its participants, it is essential to shape the instructional model along these lines. Experiential learning has five steps: experience, share, process, generalize, and apply. In this model, the activity is the experience or “do” part of the cycle. The remaining parts are fulfilled by the review questions in each activity.
GENERATION Y
While there is not consensus on the exact birthdates that define Generation Y, also known by some as echo boomers and millennials, the broadest definition generally includes the more than 70 million Americans born 1977 to 2002 (Armour 1). They are often thought of as young, smart, brash, privileged, spoiled and technologically astute. Many of them have dealt with “helicopter” parents that hover and problem solve for them, which is why many return home post-graduation. They are politically active, belong to organizations, have high expectations of you, financial smarts, and want and expect change and believe in a work-life balance (Armour 2). The millennial generation has been brought-up in the most “child-centered” environment, so their expectations are different (Armour 3).
Generation Y is unlike any previous generation and technology has played a major role in their lives. Not only are they the most “child-centered,” but also they have grown up in a mediated society. Technology is central to their existence and communication style that is different than that of Generation X (1965-1976) and Baby Boomers. There is often conflict amongst Generation Y and other groups because of a reliance on technology for communicative purposes. Some argue that this reliance has diminished interpersonal relationships or even the ability to have or create meaningful relationships in real time and space. Research shows that this conflict takes place in multiple environments including places of worship, educational institutions and most often in the workplace.
A survey conducted by human resources firm Lee Hecht Harrison found the following:
More than 60% of employees are experiencing tension between employees from different generations,
More than 70% of older employees are dismissive of younger workers’ abilities.
Nearly half of employers say that younger employees are dismissive of the abilities of their older co-workers. (Armour 4)
In order to develop a curriculum on personal branding, it is essential to understand the behavioral characteristics that mark this generation in terms of their life experiences like growing up in a mediated society. This factor greatly impacts tasks like public speaking and interpersonal communication, which are central components for personal branding.
For more information about the complete curriculum, please email info@weenonline.org.
Contact information text here
Women in Entertainment
Empowerment Network
1133 Broadway, Suite 708
New York, NY 10010
www.weenonline.org/academy
