I’m very fortunate to be working with the University of Pennsylvania’s Netter Center to bring students their own version of The City Root — The City Root Z — as part of an after-school program that will feed and even compensate students for their involvement. And I’m proud to say that I believe, unequivocally, that there is no better program for high school students than The City Root Z to learn new skills that could lead to potential career paths in a number of industries well beyond journalism.

Before I dive into all the different facets of publishing a magazine and developing an online platform, let’s divulge the ideal situation for a participating student:

IDEAL EXAMPLE — Veternarian Student

We have a sophomore student who wants to be a veterinarian. She’ll likely be curating the “Animal Instincts” section of the magazine which we’ve catered specifically to her career interests and will feature the following:

• A profile on an animal you never heard of — the first one being the Vaquita, a weird-looking Dolphin.

• A spotlight on a local animal shelter and 1-2 of their pets awaiting adoption

• An excerpt/introduction on a career that involves working with animals

• A collaboration with a local shelter, zoo, veterinarian, etc.

Considering the above, at only 15 years old, this student should be able to establish a connection with some of the top employers in the area in her field of interest —The Philadelphia Zoo, veterinarian offices, adoption shelters, etc. — proving her dedication to this career path at a young age and likely getting an internship or some part-time work out of it. If that’s what she wants.

Take that same concept and apply it to a student who wants to go into media, journalism, medicine, fashion, music, sports, animation, science, and whatever other area they may be interested in.

There’s industries, then there’s actual careers that they develop some experience in, such as:

• writing / editing

• audio / video production

• social media management

• public relations

• graphic design

• community engagement

• project management

• and many others

So far it’s been a challenge getting the students to commit but it’s certainly worth the struggle. I’m very excited by this opportunity and hope to make the most of it by helping interested students discover new skills and set them up for success in a field of their choosing.