Summer 2025
Social Media & Marketing
Summer Journey Applications Closed…but you are still invited to join the Collaboratory! Explore other pathways this summer, and be the first to know when fall Journey applications open
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Summer Journey Applications Closed…but you are still invited to join the Collaboratory! Explore other pathways this summer, and be the first to know when fall Journey applications open
This Journey is designed for mentors and mentee who want to understand the power of social media and how to use it effectively to grow an audience, promote their work, and build a personal or professional brand. From crafting engaging posts to creating a consistent online presence, this course covers the essential strategies and tools needed to thrive in the world of digital marketing.
As a mentor or mentee in the Social Media & Marketing Journey, you’ll have access to an online course designed to introduce you to the basic essentials you need to grow an audience, build your brand, and thrive in the world of digital marketing. You’ll be paired with a mentee or mentor for one full cycle, and you’ll meet with them at least twice each month. Mentees and mentors in the Social Media and Marketing Journey must attend at least one Community Experience per month.
- Requirements Overview
- Prerequisites: No Experience or Expertise Needed for Mentors or Mentees!
- Cycle(s) Summer 2025 (July 1 – September 30)
- Community Events Attend 1 Journey meeting per month (Dates Below)
- Mentoring Complete at least 2 pair sessions per month
- Coursework Complete Social Media & Marketing Course by September 30 (Course Descriptions Below)
- Mentee Project Create a presentation and attend the final showcase on September 20 to present your work.
Social Media & Marketing Community Experiences
The following events are required for all Social Media & Marketing mentees and mentors:
- Tuesday, July 15 at 6-7:30 PM ET – Journey Meeting
- Tuesday, August 12 at 6-7:15 PM ET – Career Chat
- Saturday, September 20 at 3-4:30 PM ET – Mentee Showcase
If you cannot make an event, let your Staff Lead know in advance. Your Staff Lead will help you find an alternative event to attend.
Social Media & Marketing Courses
Social Media & Marketing: Behind the Screen (Required)
This course is designed to help develop your overall understanding of roles within the realm of social media and marketing, provide you with specific tools and tips for effective marketing, and meld your creative skills with your marketing skills. Specific topics range from how to create engaging social media posts for brands to data storytelling.
Social Media & Marketing Video Fundamentals (Optional)
Within our ever-growing digital landscape, video has become one of the main mediums through which people absorb content, share their thoughts, and tell their stories. The reach that a compelling video can have is enough to entertain, spark meaningful discussions, and/or create change. To ensure that your message or story achieves its full potential, it is important to understand the three key stages of video production: pre-production, production, and post-production. In this mini-course, we will take a closer look at these three stages and explore the aspects of video creation that contribute to compelling content.
Social Media & Marketing Graphic Design Fundamentals (Optional)
In today’s visually-driven world, effective communication is about more than just words. This course is designed to provide budding writers with essential graphic design skills to enhance their storytelling and engage their audience. Through a blend of hands-on projects and discussions, students will learn how to create visually appealing content that complements their writing.
Social Media & Marketing Mentoring
Mentees and mentors in the Social Media & Marketing Journey will be matched for one cycle. Each pair will meet 2 times per month and, as a pair, attend all of the community events listed above.
Journeys in the Multimedia 360 Adventure focus on creating in a particular medium. They are designed for mentees and mentors who want to express ideas with digital and audio techniques.
The Social Media & Marketing Journey is a part of the Multimedia 360 Adventure.
Find Your Journey
Find Your Journey
Inimitable Voices in the Age of AI (Spring 2026)
AI can replicate form, but not the glorious quirks of you. Together, we’ll explore the tenets of human inimitability—Play, Empathy, Friction, Serendipity, Physicality—and explore AI tools that amplify (not blur) your unique voice. That wonderful, specific, spiky point of view that each of us has—and that the world needs now more than ever.
Thousand Voices Book Club (Spring 2026)
In partnership with the Thousand Voices imprint, this Journey invites mentors and mentees to explore contemporary literature. Participants will close-read three books and discuss them at monthly Journey Meetings. We’ll focus, in particular, on reading as writers and taking note of the ways each author crafts their story.
Sharpening Your Inimitable Voice in the Age of AI (Fall 2025)
AI can replicate form, but not the glorious quirks of you. Together, we’ll explore the tenets of human inimitability—Play, Empathy, Friction, Serendipity, Physicality—and explore AI tools that amplify (not blur) your unique voice. That wonderful, specific, spiky point of view that each of us has—and that the world needs now more than ever.
Storytelling Across Languages and Cultures (Fall 2025)
This Journey invites multilingual storytellers—and those curious about language, identity, and culture—to explore how the languages we speak and the communities we come from shape our stories. Through writing, discussion, and creative expression, participants will examine the connections between language, culture, and self. The Journey celebrates multilingual voices and empowers participants to honor their perspectives and grow as confident storytellers across cultures.
Perspectives on Media (Fall 2025)
The Perspectives on Media Journey is designed to help develop the skills and understanding needed to work in today’s media ecosystem. It provides insight from media professionals in a variety of fields such as sports journalism, broadcast journalism, true crime podcasting, and more! Participants will also learn how to develop a pitch for a media project of their choice.
Hooked on Fiction: Crafting Your First Chapter (Fall 2025)
In this fiction Journey, our curriculum will focus on opening chapters. The first pages of a novel are some of the most daunting for many writers. There's so much to establish in very few pages—the ones your future readers will flip through to decide if they should keep reading. In this journey, we'll deep dive into the varied ingredients that make a compelling first chapter. We'll examine how to use your limited space to build motivated well-rounded characters, craft palpable stakes, establish a fully-realized setting, create a killer hook, and so much more. We'll tackle big questions, like how to know if you are starting in the right place and how to get all this information onto the page without overwhelming your readers. Whether you're starting a story from scratch or already editing a draft of your novel, join us to develop some impactful opening pages.
Wicked Stagewriting: From Plays to Musicals (Fall 2025)
The Writing for the Stage: From Plays to Musicals Journey is designed to help develop the skills and understanding needed to work as a writer in today’s theatre industry. This Journey provides insight into the work of a playwright – a deep understanding of live storytelling and professional scripts, plays vs musicals, professional working practices, and employment strategies. We will look to popular musicals such as Wicked for inspiration in creating original pieces. Specific topics range from story structure and formatting scripts to actually seeing a script to fruition.
Civil Discourse: Connection & Persuasion (Fall 2025)
In this one-Cycle Journey, Mentees will develop essential skills in public speaking, argumentation, and critical thinking. Through engaging activities and interactive discussions, participants will learn to craft persuasive speeches, construct well-reasoned arguments, and present their ideas with confidence. They will explore techniques for effective communication, refine their ability to think critically under pressure, and practice responding to diverse perspectives in a structured setting.
Book Club: Page to Stage (Fall 2025)
This Journey invites mentees and mentors to explore classic and contemporary literature through both reading and performance. Participants will read three books and then experience them brought to life through dynamic solo stage adaptations in partnership with Literature to Life (LTL).
Independent Study (Fall 2025)
Create your own experience with our Independent Study Journey. Meet as a pair, attend events of interest, and use coursework to help you plan creative projects and meet your goals.
