On December 6, 2024, Career Technical Education Film teacher Alexis Reyes and Art & Culture teacher Susana Fattorini took their classes on a field trip to Amazon Studios in downtown Culver City, organized through a collaboration with Diversify by Design and Amazon.
Ms. Reyes’ students screened their movies and Ms. Fattorini’s Art & Culture students displayed their Social Justice Posters to working designers, who gave feedback to the students. The trip was uplifting and informative about careers in design, and was the first of what Diversify by Design and Amazon hope will be a broader collaboration with Culver City High School.
“The students were happy down to their cores after participating in a semester-long Design Challenge and culminating in a field trip to Amazon Studios that encouraged students to think and collaborate like professional designers,” said Reyes. “I really appreciated being a part of the whole DxD experience which included a classroom visit and constructive critique from Jess Dang, Creative Director at Audible, an Amazon company. It has been important for me to help students in a ‘company town’ feel some hope that they might also one day enter the gates of the studios that overshadow their neighborhoods and walks to school.”
Reyes believes that Amazon really is trying to bridge the gap between business and the community wherein it resides. “I do hope that our diverse mix of students heard the message that they too are worthy as designers of the future.”
“Students of Art & Culture are encouraged to express their identities and their ideas in their artwork,” said Fattorini. “From April Huerta, the designer who came to Art & Culture to brainstorm with the students, to the panel of working designers who gave feedback on their social justice posters, the trip helped make the connection that designers still create expressive work, but in their case it’s for the client, or in Amazon’s case, for the users. What is most impressive about this collaboration with DXD and Amazon, is that both are committed to helping all CCHS students see a potential career in design, and not just the students who already define themselves as ‘creative’, or the students who are completing a CTE pathway.”
CCHS Assistant Principal Ebony Nicholson said that this initiative has both validated and provided valuable feedback for the high school’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways. Students had two key takeaways:
Never stop ‘tinkering’ and growing—the careers of the future may not yet exist, and continuous learning is crucial for adapting to emerging opportunities.
Don’t limit yourself—a particular interest or skill set can be applied to a wide range of careers across various industries.
“The team at Diversify by Design was honored to help connect Culver City High students with professional creatives at Amazon,” Diversify by Design said in a statement. “It was incredibly exciting to see the student work come to life and to watch their reactions to the feedback from the pros. We have so enjoyed working with Susana Fattorini and Alexis Reyes since they joined us for our educator workshop in September – they are incredible collaborators and clearly have a gift for inspiring and educating their students about the potential of creative careers and the power of design. It was a pleasure working with Culver City High School and we’re eager to find more opportunities to collaborate again!”
CCUSD School Board President Dr. Kelly Kent witnessed the students’ high level of engagement and enthusiasm, calling it a testament to how special this opportunity truly is. “The district is immeasurably grateful that our creative neighbors are so generous with their resources and talent as we collaborate in preparing CCUSD graduates for the expansive career world that they will face.”
Culver Pride
