Intern Impact Day at Paramount: Through an Intern's Lens
Across both coasts and virtually, there was something for everyone from sandwich races to gardening to mural paintings and supporting educational development through storytelling! Intern Impact Day recognizes the need to create impact. And thanks to the Social Impact and Emerging Talent teams at Paramount Global, it was a successful turnout.
On the east coast, interns braved the New York heat and sun to serve Hudson River Park Friends, a non-profit dedicated to maintaining the park's beauty. The interns got to work on an outdoor revitalization project in the Habitat Garden, collectively removing 1.5 cubic yards of mug wort and bindweed to be processed into nutrient-rich soil for use throughout the park. Logan Tridel, Product Analyst Intern, said, 'I had such a great day. It was great to give back to the community, had a fun time helping the garden, learned a lot and worked hard!'
But that wasn't all for New York as interns swarmed onto the 7th floor of Paramount HQ to compete in a sandwich race to combat hunger inequality in the city. Grassroots Grocery, a non-profit on a mission to improve how families access food in NYC, facilitated placing interns in teams to encourage a little friendly competition for a good cause. In just one hour, the race resulted in 2,200+ sun butter and jelly sandwiches made! The sandwiches were then picked up and delivered directly to community partners for distribution.
Over in Los Angeles there were two equally meaningful events. With the help of Vibrant Emotional Health, a mental-health-focused organization for people from all walks of life, interns had the opportunity to say 'Thank You' to healthcare and frontline relief workers through Stars of Hope. The 30+ wooden stars were hand-painted with images and words of encouragement and support. Some interns really rolled up their creative sleeves and delivered special designs like Patrick the Star!
A short distance away at LA Elementary, more interns also unearthed their creative side by beautifying the school's campus with fresh mural paintings. Volunteers painted one large 'under the sea' themed mural as well as touched up existing murals pieces where needed most. Kelsey McRae, Corporate Event Manager for LA Works, supported the facilitation of the event and added, 'most schools lack the funding to retrofit, upgrade, improve, or maintain the grounds of campuses. This is why the work that the Paramount volunteers completed is so important. The students were given the space to be creative, be supported and valued so they can grow into the best version of themselves.'
Last but certainly not least, virtual interns were not left out of giving back! Story Pirates, a non-profit focused on providing educational resources to youth in need, led interns through a virtual reading session in recognition of the young authors involved in their literacy program. 30 stories were read, after which, Paramount interns wrote much needed letters of encouragement to the young authors.
Overall, more than 100 interns participate in Intern Impact Day highlighting how much this is always a collective effort across the cohort. Paramount looks forward to continuing this tradition of providing interns with a front row seat to give back and create impact where needed.
Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from Paramount
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