While many Boston-based high school students are kicking back this summer and enjoying their long vacations away from teachers and assignments, some choose to explore the working world. A couple dozen in particular signed up to hone new skills and expand their creative minds by diving into a week-long marketing bootcamp called Eternship.
Digitas, a leading integrated brand agency, hosted its 11th annual Eternship program from June 28-July 1 at its Boston headquarters. Participating Eternship high school students learned how to create a client marketing campaign from start-to-finish. Led by Digitas employee volunteers, Eternship introduced new perspectives and unparalleled learning opportunities to students entering their junior year of high school.
For the 2010 program, 23 students from Lynn Classical High School and Cambridge Rindge and Latin, as well over 100 Digitas employees, spent the week teaching, learning and creating. To culminate the week, the students presented their campaigns to a panel of judges comprised of Digitas executives and Ad Club of Boston president, Kathy Kiely. Teams were awarded in the following categories: Most Creative, Most Strategic, Best Storytellers, and Most Brand Building.
Eternship continues to be a great way for Digitas to connect with aspiring young talent. Employees love the opportunity to educate and mentor students on the ins and outs of the advertising industry, and the energy and the ideas that the students provide are a testament to the program’s success.
The students who participated in the program walked away with a one-of-a-kind experience that helped prepare them for their futures. “The way this program prepared me for everything was remarkable,” said Victor Lopez, a former Eternship student. Lopez, a graduate of Fenway High School, participated in the program two years ago. “In a heartbeat, I would go back to that week to experience this life-changing opportunity all over again.”
Since its launch in 2000, over 275 students and 850 employee volunteers have participated in the Eternship program. It is one of many of Digitas Boston’s community outreach initiatives and comes on the heels of its Miami Ad School class, another program that focuses on educating and mentoring the young talent of tomorrow.
The Eternship Council: Jeff Trachsel, Melissa York, Joanna Zeman, Erica Quigley, Lindsay Goldstein, Ezra Englebardt and Rob Schipul.
Barbara Goose is the Executive Director at Digitas Boston and Detroit (www.digitas.com)