Students Build Creative and Technical Skills Through Summer Career Training Programs
This summer, Da Vinci’s Real World Learning Team partnered with industry professionals to offer three immersive career training experiences in fashion, advanced manufacturing, and filmmaking. Through these hands-on programs, students explored potential career paths, developed valuable technical skills, and learned directly from experts in their fields. Every program was offered at no cost to students and their families, ensuring that high-quality, career-connected learning was accessible to every participant.
Fashion Remade
Creativity met sustainability as 17 students from Da Vinci Communications, Da Vinci Design, Da Vinci Science, Connect High, and Connect TK-8 transformed old garments into something new. Along the way, students learned foundational sewing skills, explored upcycling and clothing repair, and discovered how fashion can be a powerful tool for reducing textile waste and creating positive change.
From new-sew projects to hand stitching and sewing machine creations, students built confidence while bringing their ideas to life.
A heartfelt thank you to Sovern LA for making this experience possible through its generous funding and partnership, designer and founder Elle Walters of ELLERALI for inspiring and empowering our student makers with expert instruction, and The Salvation Army for donating clothing that gave students the opportunity to turn discarded items into one-of-a-kind creations.
Animatronics & Advanced Manufacturing
Sixteen students from Da Vinci Communications, Da Vinci Design, Da Vinci Science, and Da Vinci Connect High explored the world of engineering, design, and special effects.
Students designed and built their own programmable animatronic heads while learning advanced fabrication techniques used in today's creative and manufacturing industries. Students gained experience with CAD design, laser cutting, 3D printing, thermoforming, mold-making, silicone casting, electronics assembly, and Arduino programming before taking home their completed portfolio-ready projects. From building their own creations to troubleshooting designs, every challenge became an opportunity to learn something new.
We extend a huge thank you to Cynder FX for leading such an engaging experience, along with guest speakers from MatterHackers, and Reynolds Advanced Materials for sharing their industry expertise.
We loved watching our students' curiosity, creativity, and confidence grow throughout the week! This is what Real World Learning is all about: combining creativity with technical skills to prepare students for the future.
Vertical Visions
Through this immersive filmmaking experience, students from Da Vinci Connect High, Da Vinci Design, and The Levitt Lab learned how to tell authentic stories using smartphone videography, storyboarding, ethical storytelling, filming, editing, and real-world documentation techniques while creating compelling vertical video content.
We extend a huge thank you to the Diamond in the Raw Foundation for providing the funding, curriculum, and instruction that made this incredible opportunity possible!
These summer experiences gave students the opportunity to explore future careers, build valuable technical skills, and create projects that showcase their creativity, innovation, and real world learning. We are deeply grateful to our industry partners for making these transformative experiences possible and helping students build the knowledge, confidence, and skills needed to succeed in the workforce.
