Think Creative - Issue 1

Creative Life

a mission-driven community

walk this way A day in the life of a Creative team member

Rene Urrutia Communications Coordinator El Salvador Crime & Violence Prevention Project

While I take on many different tasks, pho- tography is my passion, and my favorite days include taking my camera to visit one of our 165 Outreach Centers, lively places where kids can study, play, take classes and plan their futures. I enjoy interacting with youth at the Cen- ters and hearing about how the project has given themmore hope for a better future with new opportunities. I’m always on the lookout for unique “success stories,” which show firsthand

El Salvador has a population of more than six million people. After more than two years on the job, it seems like I may have met at least half of them. As the Communications Coordinator for the El Salvador Crime and Violence Prevention Project, my role is to reach youth and communities with the project’s messages about preventing violence and to share our accomplishments. Whether taking photos at a Microsoft Academy graduation ceremony in Co-

Video Production Interviewing Magdalena Magaña, Infrastructure Coordinator, before a park inauguration in Usulut á n.

I like to ask “What do you think of world peace?” to start an interview to make the person laugh and loosen up.

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In each place we work, we’re giving communities the push they need to take the first step toward creating dreams and opportunities.”

Sound Check

Two kids prepping for a performance as part of the Usulut á n youth philharmonic orchestra.

jutepeque or planning an event in San Salvador, my daily to-do list keeps me on the go and frequently traveling around the country to meet with project staff, volun- teers and at-risk youth. There is no typical week or average day in this role, which keeps the job exciting. Recently, I helped plan a week-long concert series to celebrate the first Day of Friendship between El Salvador and the U.S., featuring nearly 1,000 youth philhar- monic musicians from 11 municipalities, and helped execute a social media cam- paign, #AmistadEnAcción (Friendship in Action), to get people involved.

how the project is making a difference for one person. Collecting these stories lets me interview beneficiaries, teachers, counselors, parents and members of the community to put faces alongside the facts. Fortunately, there are plenty of successes to highlight, and they give us a way to show the difference we’re making to governments, businesses, communities and families whose support the project depends on. In this career, there are always new chal- lenges and opportunities ahead, and I do my best to bring a positive attitude, creativ- ity and dedication to work every day. n

Group photo with graduates of the Formate job skills training program in international cuisine and cell phone repair in Conchagua. SelfieTime!

Photos by Erick Gibson (top left, center & bottom right), Amanda Smallwood (top right)

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