Aha Media™ Partners with American Student Assistance to Launch Virtual Internship Program in Animation and Media Production

Program designed to increase access to students in geographically underserved communities in the Midwest

FORT WAYNE, Ind. and BOSTON, April 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aha Media™ in partnership with American Student Assistance (ASA), a national nonprofit changing the way middle and high schoolers learn about careers and navigate education-to-career opportunities, announced today, a collaboration with ASA's Futurescape^TM to expand access to Aha Media's virtual internship program and animation production pipeline. Launched during National Internship Awareness Month, the program is designed to increase access for students and early-stage creators in geographically underserved communities in the Midwest, which falls outside of the traditional industry hubs on the East and West Coasts. These aspiring career professionals will be provided with behind the scenes access to animation and media production.

Since 2020, Aha Media has worked with students across the Midwest, providing virtual access to a wide array of creative industry knowledge and professional resources. Through this virtual internship program, students gain a behind the scenes look at Aha Media's animation and media production pipeline by putting them in the virtual studio with creative professionals as they work on a variety of projects. Along with direct access to creative professionals, students can also participate in moderated Q&A sessions and additional exercises in animation and media production.

"We're thrilled to expand this unique program with the support of ASA," said Matt McClure, Co-Founder of Aha Media™. "Giving middle and high school students a chance to shadow and interact with creative professionals regardless of their geographic location is a significant step towards building a truly inclusive creative sector."

According to ASA's 2021 Futurescape survey of more than 2,000 students, the most popular careers explored overwhelmingly include those with a digital focus, such as animators. "Through our innovative partnership with Aha Media, we are increasing access to high-quality career experimentation experiences that will empower today's young people – and particularly those in geographically underserved communities like the Midwest – to test and try on careers before the stakes are too high," said ASA CEO Jean Eddy. "In doing so, learners will be well positioned to make informed choices to achieve their postsecondary education and career goals."

Students can register for one of three internship sessions (Spring, Summer, or Fall) throughout 2022 via ASA's Futurescape platform at https://asafuturescape.org/article/32372171. The Aha Media Content Experience is available at https://asafuturescape.org/article/32372138.

Futurescape is a free, immersive digital platform that has already helped more than seven million students explore real-world careers beyond the classroom. Powered by real-time insights, the mobile-first, personalized experience is the only future career exploration tool that learns and grows in sync with young people's evolving strengths, passions, interests, and goals.

For more information, please visit Futurescape - ASA.org and www.ahamedia.co.

Along with ASA, the virtual internship program is made possible through support from the Knight Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne, and regional collaboration of the City of Fort Wayne's office of Community Development. 

About Aha Media

Aha Media™ creates, develops, and produces original TV/film/digital content from emerging talent in underserved communities. Aha intentionally focuses on Women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ creators in flyover states, bridging the gap between artist and opportunity. 

About American Student Assistance® (ASA)

American Student Assistance® (ASA) is a national nonprofit committed to helping students know themselves, know their options, and make informed decisions to achieve their education and career goals. ASA believes all students should have equitable access to career readiness learning, starting in middle school, so they can develop a plan for their future. ASA fulfills its mission by providing digital-first programming, resources, and experiences, including Futurescape^TM, directly to millions of students, in addition to support for educators and intermediaries. To learn more about ASA, visit www.asa.org/about-us.

SOURCE American Student Assistance (ASA)