Last year, Automattic paired up with Paintsville High School in Kentucky to do a remote graphic design fellowship. FireCast, a traveling video podcast in Eastern Kentucky, recently filmed the students talking about the experience:
You can learn more about the podcast and about the design fellowship on The Holler.
I had a lot of fun working with both my artist, Min, and my student, Abby, and it was really great to hear how the program went from the Paintsville students’ perspectives. It sounds like we’ve opened up their minds to the idea of design as a career, and remote work.
Too often, tech workers are pushed towards big cities in order to grow their careers and support their families. By opening up remote opportunities for work, folks in suburban and rural areas can live the lifestyles they love and still have opportunities to make great careers. This is especially important in areas where jobs are scarce and disappearing, like Appalachia.
I really hope we get the opportunity to partner with more schools in the future, and to sustain our relationship with Paintsville!