The AVIXA Foundation, the charitable arm of AVIXA, has partnered with The Loop Lab to support the organization's mission of empowering underserved youth with professional skills for today's audiovisual industry jobs.
Located in Cambridge, MA, The Loop Lab provides young people with the tools to express themselves creatively while giving them with an on-ramp to join the workforce. In 2017, The Loop Lab raised more than $280,000 in grant funding and has entered into corporate and education partnerships with Google, ArtPlace America, and Cambridge Arts.
Through the partnership with the AVIXA Foundation, Loop Lab students will learn about the AV industry while studying fundamental skills through courses like AVIXA's Essentials of AV Technology. In addition, students will have the opportunity to attend the annual InfoComm U.S. trade show, take courses and workshops at the event, and network with potential industry employers.
"Our partnership with the AVIXA Foundation will prove invaluable to our students," said Christopher Hope, founder of The Loop Lab. "The City of Cambridge is at a critical moment in its evolution, and many of its youth are without the resources to fully explore the opportunities all around them. AVIXA's community, curriculum, and industry intelligence will help these young people to find and exercise their true potential in the AV industry."
"Partnering with the Loop Lab is a natural fit for us," said Joseph Valerio, program director for the AVIXA Foundation. "The organization's focus on elevating the lives of Cambridge youth through technical training and job preparation aligns perfectly with our mission. One of the Foundation's key goals is to increase awareness of AV as a dynamic, viable career path. This collaboration helps us bolster a growing pipeline of students from the region entering the AV workforce."
The Loop Lab recently partnered with the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT), a current education partner of the AVIXA Foundation. The agreement with BFIT solidified opportunities for Loop Lab students to receive college credit at BFIT for program completion at The Loop Lab. For their final assignments, Loop Lab students collaborate with employees at Amazon Audible on podcasts and videos to be used internally at Audible. There is also a student showcase at PRX Podcast Garage, a community space dedicated to the craft of audio storytelling.
The Loop Lab joins a growing number of organizations that have partnered with the AVIXA Foundation to bring AV education into more classrooms. Others include City College of San Francisco, Columbia College Chicago, Downey Unified School District, EnventU, Full Sail University, Howard Community College, Integrate Baltimore, Laney College, Secretaría de Educación de Distrito de Bogotá, Valencia College, and more. For additional information on the Foundation's mission and programs, visit avixa.org/foundation.
