We here at LimeRed Studio are very fortunate to have the opportunity to collaborate with Youth Service??Projects igniTech Program to host two very bright and creative young women to join our team for the summer. The igniTech program is a job readiness program for out-of-school youth between the ages of 16 and 24 where they receive instruction and explore technology through job placements I think we got the cream of the crop because these two are truly fantastic!

Theyll be Digital Media Assistants here at LimeRed Studio for the coming weeks this summer focusing on media and information research for a number of projects, leading small production teams with youth at the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, and learning more about coding and web development processes here at the Studio.

Taizia Bradley

Tazia is a west side resident??of Chicago who will be completing her senior year at Rowe-Clark Math & Science Acedemy this coming year. Prior to participating in the igniTech program, Taizia had spent a lot of time volunteering in her community with local food pantries and for the Greater Chicago Food Depository. We found out right away that she is passionate about music, poetry and stage performance–things shes made a priority for herself in the past year.

She hopes to gain more skills about how media relates to improving communities but also how she can utilize what she learns??into the things shes most passionate about.

On Taizias first week, she led a small group of young people at KOCO to plan their story-based strategies. Since then, she has taken the lead doing social media research and monitoring online conversations on chicago violence, solutions and programs for youth.

Khaliah Cowley

Khaliah is also a west side resident??who graduated from the West Town Academy this past spring. Shes passionate about technology and plans on pursuing a direction in business in the near future but wanted to discover more about the depth and complexity of technology by being placed at LimeRed Studio.

She has also spent time volunteering, particularly at her former school where some of her responsibilities included managing and restocking supplies and preparing learning environments for instruction. As a Technology Intern at Youth Service Project, shes learned to refurbish computers and expand her job readiness skills.

On Khaliahs first day, she asked our lead developer Rob where she can learn to code. That night she logged onto Code Academy and began learning how to write HTML. As a Digital Media assistant at LimeRed Studio, she is also conducting research on the variety of resources, programs, and services for youth in the south and west sides and compiling the data into a database that can hopefully be more easily accessed by other youth in the future.

Both Taizia and Khaliah have already done a tremendous job working with and leading other youth in small groups at the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization framing messages, planning small projects, and leading discussions about creating media messages that can contribute to solutions on violence in Chicago.

Learn more and keep up with their work by getting in touch with us or signing up for our newsletter.