Local Youth Gain Digital Media Skills through Comcast Foundation Grant

Arex House received a $10,000 grant renewal from the Comcast Foundation to support the organization’s Visionaries digital media apprenticeship initiative for teenage youth. The grant will support Arex House in its technology training and provide the funding to purchase a new computer and other technology equipment needed to implement the program.

Now in its tenth year, Visionaries engages students in at least 80 hours of hands-on instruction and skill-building in photography, film production and graphic design each semester.

The initiative is part of the Youth Options Unlimited program at Arex House and is designed to help students build a strong foundation in the digital arts. But according to digital media coordinator and Visionaries instructor Jesus Gonzalez Flores, the students are also gaining life skills in the process.

“With perspective and exposure develops a conversation that enables students to voice their observations,” said Gonzalez Flores. “And in return this creates listening skills, teamwork, creative problem-solving and, ultimately, critical thinking.”

“Comcast is proud to partner with Arex House once again to provide local youth access to technology and training that will help them develop skills they need to succeed in school and also later in the workforce,” said Debra Marton, Comcast’s regional senior manager of Community Investment.