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This year, the Zahn Center expanded their career building apprenticeship program to include a new marketing and communications team. The pod aims to spread awareness about the Zahn Center and create a community of startups and innovative students within CCNY. Joining the marketing pod this year was a way for me to expand my marketing and communication skills, and explore fun and creative ways to learn new things. When I read the email about the pod application, I immediately knew that it was something I had to pursue.
Meeting our pod members for the first time was a great experience. Our pod consists of marketing assistants Chis Arsenault and Leanna Pham, whose roles include overseeing the rest of the apprentices, 
complete outside branding, social media, PR work and email marketing. The pod also includes the apprentices Emily, Linda, Jennifer, and me. Our roles range from website design to email and communications marketing. During a typical day, an apprentice will work on individual projects as well as marketing and communication work for the entire pod. For a typical Zahn Center workshop, the marketing pod is in charge of creating graphics to promote the event, creating Eventbrites, creating registration links, completing social media audits and finally, updating the website with pictures from events.
Before working as marketing assistants, Chris and Leanna were both marketing interns for the Zahn Center over the summer. Leanna was also working as a brand ambassador for social media, and Chris was a music producer and advertised through branding his music.
For the future, Anna Hutcheson, Program Manager at the Zahn Innovation Center, notes that the pod will eventually take on outside clients and fulfill marketing and social media work for other featured startups. During the summer, apprentices will also have the opportunity for paid summer internships within partnered companies. Once skill sets are built, the goal is to work with established outside companies outside of featured startups. The pod was created as a response to helping featured startups with marketing assistance and PR work in-house. This way, startups can benefit from marketing, and at the same time, create a learning experience for marketing students at CCNY. The goal is that future pod members will be able to reach outside companies and develop marketing and communication work for these organizations.
So far, one of our biggest accomplishments is being able to create a foundation for future marketing pods and continuing to build on it as the apprenticeship program grows. The hope for future pod members is that theyll be able to branch off continuing to spread awareness for the Zahn Innovation Center. Whats planned for the future? Well be working on takeover Tuesdays – a fun and interactive way to give visual insight to students using Instagram stories. Then, pod blogs – a closer look into our apprenticeship pods and how they represent the Zahn Innovation Center.
Want to become the next apprentice of a Zahn Innovation Center pod? Apply for the Spring 2020 Apprenticeship program and gain experience and skills in the electrical, manufacturing, CAD, or marketing pods. Applications open December 2, 2019, so stay in touch with us at @ZahnCenterNYC or join our newsletter.