ViacomCBS Leads 25th Annual Day of Service
For the 25th year, on June 17th ViacomCBS employees are devoting their annual day of service to give back to their communities.
While employees will be leading virtual volunteer projects worldwide, one of the main focuses will be on youth empowerment and the company's efforts to help address the mentorship gap that COVID-19 has caused for young people – especially those in underserved communities.
In NYC specifically, nearly 400 ViacomCBS employees are coming together with 9 organizations to help fill this gap in mentorship, development and career readiness for the city’s youth. Below are a few events that employees will lead, with a special focus on youth empowerment through the arts.
- Reel Works Mentorship – Through a partnership with Reel Works, which provides free filmmaking education to NYC youth, employees will mentor students and share feedback on their film projects, including advice pre-production, production, or post-production. They’ll also teach the students about different professional pathways, valuable skills, and strategies for success in the entertainment industry, creating a springboard for the next generations of filmmakers.
- All Stars – The All Stars Project is a nationwide community building organization, whose mission is to “transform the lives of inner city youth using the developmental power of performance.” In this hands-on event, ViacomCBS employees will engage with a group of young students in a performance-based workshop and mentoring conversation that showcases the developmental work of the All Stars Project.
- Girls Write Now – Young writers from systemically underserved communities will join volunteers from ViacomCBS in a series of writing exercises to help process this challenging year and reflect on the people and moments that sparked joy in spite of adversity. Serving as mentors for the day, volunteers will also answer questions about their professional journeys and help inspire their mentees.
The goal is to highlight the role that companies can play in bridging these support gaps, as well as the incredible resilience of these young people and the work they’re doing to move forward on their educational and career journeys in spite of the pandemic.
In addition to the NYC activities, ViacomCBS employees are taking part in Virtual Community activities in 30 regions globally.