Spark your creative career with FORGE!

Are you a budding designer, future PR pro, aspiring copywriter, avid videographer or developer in training? Spark your creative career with Forge, Emspace + Lovgren’s free professional development program for college students.

Degree-seeking students can apply to participate in engaging discussions and creative exercises with peers and professionals from January through April of 2019. As always, Forge will cover multiple facets of the creative communications field including the diversity of disciplines and how, as professionals, our roles integrate as we collaborate to create effective and sustainable creative solutions for clients.

Interested students must be in the second half of their degree program requirements in one or more of the following disciplines: public relations, journalism, graphic design, web design, marketing, advertising, copywriting or account management.

Forge consists of six bi-monthly sessions scheduled on Wednesdays from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Applications are due Saturday, Nov. 10.

For a first hand look at Forge, read this blog from 2016 alum, Dawaune Hayes.

Download the 2019 Forge Poster

Intro to Forge

January 23

So you applied to Forge and got accepted. Now what? We’ll jump right in with a bird’s eye overview of effective collaboration and what it’s like to work on a team with multiple disciplines, roles and priorities.

Learn

February 6

First things first: research. This session will explore how to pave your path to success by creating goals, building a solid team and making the most of client relationships.

Think

February 20

Planning is key. We’ll dig deep on setting objectives, managing timelines and deliverables, creative thinking, and strategic problem solving.

Create

March 6

The creative process is a process within a process. Where do you begin? We’ll take a look at how to overcome creative blocks, juggle projects, stay organized, and integrate development and production before you’re crunched for time.

There will be a three week break in sessions 4-5 due to spring breaks.

Do

March 27

Time to put everything into action. The DO session will dive into delivery, implementation and sustainability, failure to launch, tasks and management, community engagement, and how to collect, archive and MEASURE.

Celebrate & Prepare for What’s Next

April 10

Let’s celebrate! In our final session, we’ll send off our 2019 graduates with some young professional hacks — including job search advice, interview tips and guidance on creating opportunities in Omaha and beyond.

What’s more, area professionals and Forge alumni will join us to network.