Greenville Teens Increase Their Employability Through Improv Comedy
Benjamin Franklin Experience and Asheville Improv Collective Partner to Teach Students Soft Skills
GREENVILLE, SC, June 25, 2019 —According to LinkedIn, creativity, collaboration, and adaptability are the three skills most sought by employers in 2019. The Benjamin Franklin Experience (BFE) will partner with Asheville Improv Collective this summer to provide a learning experience to students that develop these specific skills.
BFE, the career immersion summer program for teenagers, has found tremendous success in objectively increasing students’ soft skills. Program founder, Jonathan Shanin, explains, “The comedy improv experience allows students to relax and get to know each other in a unique setting. We have visiting-mentors attend this day as well—C-level executives who are sometimes as nervous to participate as the students. Having everyone out of their comfort zones is a great equalizer, allowing students to make real connections with adults who may otherwise seem intimidating.”
Asheville Improv Collective founder and co-owner, Clifton Hall, explains, “The great thing about working with these groups is that they don't realize they are learning soft skills because they are having so much fun. Working as a team, thinking outside the box, communicating effectively and being flexible are all at the core of improv. You can’t fake improv, just like you can’t fake soft skills. The experience is unforgettable, and the skills the students take with them are lasting and easily applied in the workplace.”
Students ages 14-18 interested in attending the program may still apply to the waitlist for Courses 2 and 3 (July 8 - July 19; and July 29 - August 9 respectively). Executives interested in participating as Visiting-Mentors may complete BFE’s form here: https://www.franklinexperience.org/visiting-mentors-form/
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Benjamin Franklin Experience (BFE) is a summer program through which students, ages 14 - 18, have day-in-the-life experiences in inspirational careers led by experts. Fields include STEM, arts, trades, medicine, and more. One day, students work with environmental scientists in a mountain stream, the next, they learn emergency medicine at a state-of-the-art simulation center.
As students discover their own interests and talents, they learn the skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century—leadership, business etiquette, teamwork, writing excellence, creative problem solving, and verbal communication. Students' future college and employment applications are bolstered with writing assignments, photography, and music from the program. Most importantly, students change their perceptions of themselves and their possible futures, which results in goal-driven behavior necessary to achieve success.
Benjamin Franklin Experience is a program of AidJoy, a 501(c)3 corporation.
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