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A creative agency

run by Tulsa teens.

Photo by Kennadi, SPIRE Carrera Fellow, 2018

Learning by doing.

At SPIRE, our teen creatives learn professional media production by serving as the editors, photographers, writers, graphic designers, and creative directors of a real-live creative agency.

        Instantly highly-skilled.

        Instantly employable. 

    We give our fellows

a pipeline to a career

  in the creative &         

   digital arts. 

Photo by Cory, SPIRE 2017 Fellow

LEADERSHIP

Teens are the Editors-in-Chief, Managing Editors, and Directors of the Agency. They provide the leadership and direction.

JOURNALISM

Our writers and photographers work on journalistic pieces, which they publish and sell, that highlight important stories around Tulsa.

DESIGN

Our graphic designers learn Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop, and use their artistic talent to create beautiful spreads.

MARKETING

Our most experienced young professionals work on marketing projects for companies and organizations 

Meeting 21st century workforce demands

The world is rapidly changing, and so is the workforce. We provide fellowships in journalism, marketing and media production because they require mastery of the 21st century skills. 

DIGITAL LITERACIES

  • Find, understand, evaluate, create and communicate digital information in a variety of formats

  • Use tech to find, interpret, and judge the quality of information

  • Understand tech's role in life-long learning, privacy and stewardship of info

  • Use tech to participate in and contribute to civic society

CRITICAL THINKING

  • Clearly and precisely formulate and ask important questions

  • Gather, assess and interpret information to form well-reasoned conclusions

  • Test conclusions against criteria and standards

  • Think open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought

  • Communicate effectively about complex ideas

COMMUNICATION

  • Read, understand, and communicate complex ideas effectively and precisely

  • Work in collaboration with others toward an end goal

  • Manage behavior and emotions to foster positive interactions in a variety of contexts

  • Communicate appropriately and effectively according to the medium and audience

PRODUCTIVITY

  • Prioritize, plan , and manage oneself and team to achieve goals and meet deadlines

  • Make effective use of modern, real-world tools and technologies to accomplish tasks

  • Produce relevant, high-quality intellectual, informational, or material products that serve an authentic real-world purpose

LEARN.

Fellows spend the first part of the fellowship learning specialized skills through coaching from local professionals in the fields of journalism, marketing, graphic design, photography, business and leadership.

​

Technology they master:

  • InDesign

  • Adobe Illustrator

  • Photoshop & Lightroom

  • Bridge

  • Google apps, including Drive, Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Calendar, etc.

  • Wix and others

  • Microsoft Office

  • Google search

  • Drawing tablet

  • Nikon and Canon cameras, lenses, and equipment

LEAD.

Fellows lead the project management for their work in journalism and/or marketing. They determine the concepts and plan the content, while natural leaders emerge to become Creative Directors and Editors.

​

Roles they fill:

  • Writers / reporters

  • Graphic Designers

  • Photographers

  • Managing Editors

  • Creative Directors

  • Account Managers

  • Editors-in-Chief

  • Production Managers

  • Photo Editors

  • Department Managers

CREATE.

Working as a team, fellows collaborate in the creation of their product - whether it’s a publication, a website, a campaign, a video, or a rebrand.

​

Projects they do:

  • Print publication or magazine

  • Websites

  • News stories

  • Videos

  • Campaign creation

  • Social media content management & curation

  • Rebranding

  • Podcasts

  • Whatever they dream up!

APPLY.

Fellows apply the skills they learn in the fellowship and in the school classroom to a real-world project, which they promote and sell to the public. They are real-live journalists and marketing professionals that do paid work for their community.

GUIDE.

Throughout the fellowships, mentors and advisors guide fellows in creating a Career Pathway Plan that helps them navigate the steps from now until their end career goal so they understand exactly what it takes to achieve their dream job.

PLACE.

In the last year of the fellowship, we work to place our graduating fellows in an internship with a media or marketing agency to give them yet another resume-booster. Throughout their last year as a fellow, we work with them on crafting a resume, filling out applications, writing essays and cover letters, and setting up interviews for their next step - whether to college or to start their career.

Our model

 "With the skills I learned ... I was able to start my own photography business. ... I was given the confidence in myself AND in a career I cared about. Going forward ... I know I can always rely not only on the knowledge and experience of what was learned, but also the people that were introduced into my life because of a fellowship with SPIRE. The connections you gain don’t end when the program ends, the program is only the beginning of a great support system for young professionals"

 

Leah Blevins

SPIRE alumna, 2016

Owner, Grayson Rose Photography

Testimonials
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