The Renaissance Project is a New Orleans area non-profit that works to improve the quality of life in low-income communities of color by increasing access to fresh, healthy food; improving education opportunities; catalyzing economic development and celebrating arts and culture. A core program of the Renaissance Project is the summer youth employment initiative which provides promising students with employment opportunities over the summer months.

This summer, the Renaissance Project's summer youth employment program placed over fifty young people in jobs at twenty-three sites throughout the city. WWOZ is proud to support this mission with two interns who came to us through the Renaissance Project. Elijah Gray is a rising high school senior and Latrell Davis is a rising high school sophomore.

"I applied to the Renaissance Project because I wanted to be able to experience [new] things," Davis said. "I also didn’t want to be stuck in the house another summer and wanted to make money." The Renaissance Project interns spend 25 hours a week at WWOZ working on a variety of projects and gaining new skills.

During their time at WWOZ, both have gained insights on New Orleans, the entertainment industry, and what happens behind the scenes at a radio station. Gray and Davis spend some of their time each week greeting guests to the station at our front desk where they've been able to interact with the visitors we welcome each week from all over the country and world.

"I was surprised to find out that people from all over the country come to see this station," Davis related. "I didn't even know about WWOZ until I worked here, and now I've met people from Tennessee, California, and all over the place who walk up to see the station. I didn't know this was in my city and that people from so far away are interested in it."

The pair has also gained skills from the technical side of the station, as well. Davis and Gray have been trained in different recording techniques and audio editing. They've also spent time making entries to our vast music database, assisting in the WWOZ development department and learning how a donor-supported station runs, and familiarizing themselves with some New Orleans music they weren't aware of before, particularly through our in-studio performances.

"I like hearing bands play live in the studio room. Every time a band comes, I watch them until they leave," Gray said.

The Renaissance Project summer youth employment initiative wraps up on July 31. Students will have spent a total of six weeks at their jobs.

Learn more about the Renaissance Project's Summer Youth Employment initiatives: http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2015/06/renaissance_projects_summer_yo.html