Mary Jo McGonagle and Simon Tuozzoli

McGonagle and Tuozzoli will use their Voya grant to help fund elements of their innovative teaching idea, “Digital Arts & Media Innovation Grant,” through which they are creating a Media Center for the Arts and Communications disciplines. The center will offer courses in graphic design, animation, podcasting and social media content creation. A key feature will be an Advanced Digital Media Production course that merges digital art and sound design. In collaboration with a colleague in music and audio at Fairchild Wheeler Interdistrict Magnet School, students will also use Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, GarageBand and Adobe Audition to produce animated posts, podcasts, commercials and cinematic intros with original soundtracks. According to the teaching duo, this innovative program equips students with hands-on experience and essential digital skills, emphasizing creativity, communication and storytelling. Students will apply these skills to real-world, community-centered projects, preparing them for careers in media, marketing, entertainment and other creative industries.