The Library Foundation SD received a grant of $450,000 from the Prebys Foundation’s Youth Workforce: Career Pathways initiative to support the Media Arts Workforce Development Initiative @ The Library. These funds will support the San Diego Public Library department, in collaboration with the Media Arts Center San Diego, to continue and expand this work readiness program for young adults ages 18 to 30 who are focused on careers in video production, multimedia art, and design.
The grant is part of a $6 million investment in 17 San Diego County nonprofits over two years to address the region’s youth unemployment crisis. California currently ranks among the top five states for teen unemployment at 21.2%, and young adults face barriers to steady employment, and represent populations that are underrepresented in the creative economy, which is credited for contributing $10.8 billion and nearly 170,000 jobs in the San Diego region in 2022, as reported by the City of San Diego and San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center.
San Diego’s young people bring energy, innovation, and resilience to our community. The initiative invests in pathways to steady, livable wages, empowering young adults to build wealth, contribute their talents, and thrive right here in San Diego.
The Media Arts Workforce Development Initiative @ The Library is offered in two parts. The first is a paid 6‑week training program in video and multimedia design and production, in collaboration with Media Arts Center San Diego (MACSD), held at the City Heights/Weingart Library in small cohorts of 10 students. The second part of the Initiative is a 450-hour paid internship to be completed in six to 12 months with the City of San Diego in several City departments, including the Library, Economic Development, Communications, and Environmental Services.
The Media Arts Workforce Development Initiative @ The Library demonstrates how the San Diego Public Library is more than just books – it’s a crucial component in sustaining and growing the workforce in this region.
“While the success rate of this program is impressive, it’s even more remarkable to see graduates spread out across the San Diego region working for the Library, the creative economy, marketing firms, and showcasing their work at film festivals across the U.S.,” continued Patrick Stewart.
Since its inception in 2021, 136 students have completed the Media Arts Workforce Development Initiative @ The Library. Follow-up surveys of these graduates show that 94 percent report using the digital skills they learned to do something new or different, while 97 percent reported completing a task or goal they could not do or could not do as well before. An average of 80 percent of students from each 6‑week training cohort transition into paid internships with the Library and other City departments. Twenty-five percent of the program’s participants in fiscal year 2023 were hired by the Library department after completing their paid internships.
Through this grant to the Library Foundation SD, the San Diego Public Library’s Media Arts Workforce Development Initiatives will increase the number of underrepresented individuals in the creative workforce by focusing on communities of concern, as defined by the City’s Climate Equity index tool, which measures the level of access to opportunity residents have across San Diego.
About Prebys Foundation
Prebys Foundation is the largest independent private foundation in San Diego County. The foundation works to create an inclusive, equitable, and dynamic future for all San Diegans. For more information, visit prebysfdn.org.
