USC Iovine and Young Academy

The challenge

Students may know what they love to create without knowing where that interest can lead. The path from creative passion to college and career is often filled with unanswered questions, what to study, what opportunities exist, who to know, and what the work is actually like.

The Music to the Ears approach

• Bring LAUSD students, higher education, and industry professionals together
• Give students direct access to creatives and leaders working across industries
• Explore education, career pathways, entrepreneurship, and the future of creative work
• Create conversations students can turn into actionable next steps

The experience

Hosted at USC, the Creative Career Pathways panel brought LAUSD students together with university voices and industry panelists for a candid conversation about education, creativity, careers, and opportunity. Students were able to hear directly from people doing the work and ask their own questions about what inspired them and what comes next.

The impact

• Direct connection between K-12 students, higher education, and industry
• Greater exposure to creative careers and pathways students can pursue
• Real-world insight from working creative and industry professionals
• A live conversation that extends the experience beyond the students in the room