By: Jacob Smedley and Joe Habersham
[Multimedia Story]
An opportunity, much like a song or film, differs for everyone. Some build on a brand foundation while others receive a second chance to fuel visions that have been years in the making.
Newly released ex-offender, Robert Brown, is one step closer to his dream after taking an eight-week digital media and audio engineering course with the Freedom Thinkers Academy at the Philadelphia Opportunities Industrialization Center.
“My dream is about to come to fruition, and my dream is to build generational wealth.”
The Philadelphia Opportunities Industrialization Center has provided area residents with job training and employment opportunities for more than 60 years. The center has classes in everything from nursing and health care to financial services.
The digital media and audio engineering course teaches music production, video editing, personal branding, and business management courses. When students graduate, they have learned skills and developed connections for future jobs and projects.
Leslie Pridgen, known in the music as Philadelphia Freeway, created the program to keep people away from violence.
“There’s so much violence and negativity going on in Philadelphia,” Freeway said. “I feel like one of the main reasons they’re doing these things is because they don’t have many opportunities.”
The classes have not only led students like Brown closer to their professional goals but also closer as a group that ultimately feels like family.
“I haven’t been around that ever in my life,” Brown said. “ Nobody is off to the side [saying things] like, ‘Oh man, forget them. I don’t mix with them.’”
The next eight-week digital media and audio engineering class begins in May.
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