Julia Lynn Productions Connected High School Students with Entrepreneurs and Community Voices During Pandemic Hybrid Learning

Urban Assembly School of Global Commerce Students Explored Entrepreneurship, Digital Business, Media and the Real-Life Impact of COVID-19

NEW YORK, NY — 2020–2021 — At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed education, business and everyday life, Julia Lynn Productions Inc. (JLP) created an innovative hybrid learning experience that gave high school students an opportunity to document what was happening around them while exploring entrepreneurship, media and community resilience.

Working with students from the Urban Assembly School of Global Commerce High School through Grant Associates, JLP developed a Pandemic Hybrid Learning / Business Discovery Project that connected students with entrepreneurs, business owners and other young people to explore how individuals were adapting during an unprecedented moment in history.

The Urban Assembly School for Global Commerce (UASGC) is a New York City public high school in Manhattan, located at 2005 Madison Avenue in East Harlem. It serves grades 9–12 and is part of NYC Geographic District 5.

What makes the school especially relevant to the JLP project is its career-focused approach. The school describes its program as a college-preparatory education centered on business and engineering pathways connected to global commerce. Students receive exposure to business skills, financial literacy, career planning, internships and other work-based experiences.

Rather than limiting learning to a virtual classroom, Julia Lynn Productions encouraged students to become interviewers, researchers and storytellers, using conversations with real people to examine how COVID-19 was changing business, communication, relationships and daily life.

Turning Students Into Interviewers and Storytellers

A defining component of the project was giving students an active role in the learning process.

Instead of simply watching presentations about careers and entrepreneurship, students participated in conversations with people navigating the challenges of COVID-19 in real time.

Through the experience, students were exposed to:

• Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation — examining how entrepreneurs adapted their services and business models.

• Digital Commerce — learning how platforms such as Etsy and social media could help entrepreneurs reach customers.

• Media and Interviewing — developing questions, conducting interviews and learning how to tell another person's story.

• Career Exploration — discovering traditional and nontraditional pathways to business ownership.

• Social Media and Communication — examining the expanded role of digital platforms during COVID-19.

• Youth Voice — providing young people with opportunities to document and discuss their own pandemic experiences.

• Community Resilience — discovering how individuals continued creating, working and connecting despite unprecedented circumstances.

Documenting an Extraordinary Moment Through Youth Media

The Pandemic Hybrid Learning / Business Discovery Project, which aired during 2020–2021, represents an important chapter in Julia Lynn Productions Inc.'s youth programming.

At a time when educators across the country were searching for meaningful ways to engage students remotely and through hybrid learning, JLP used the circumstances surrounding the pandemic as an opportunity for experiential education.

The community became part of the classroom.

Entrepreneurs became teachers.

Students became interviewers.

And their conversations became a record of how businesses, families and young people adapted during an extraordinary moment in history.

Through its partnership with the Urban Assembly School of Global Commerce High School through Grant Associates, Julia Lynn Productions demonstrated how media can be used not only to tell stories, but also as a tool for education, career exposure, entrepreneurship and youth development.

Entrepreneurship on the Move: Gary Chimelis of Bronx Loyal Mobile Barber

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Students interviewed Gary Chimelis, owner of Bronx Loyal Mobile Barber, to learn how entrepreneurs were adapting service-based businesses during the pandemic.

With traditional business operations disrupted by COVID-19, students explored the growing concept of mobile businesses, including barbers who transformed vans into spaces where they could bring their services directly to customers.

The interview introduced students to entrepreneurship as a form of problem-solving. They were able to examine how business owners could respond to unexpected circumstances by changing how and where they provided their services.

The experience connected entrepreneurship, innovation, career exploration and community resilience while showing students that a successful business does not necessarily require a traditional storefront.

Building a Creative Business Online: Subira Frasier

The program also introduced students to Subira Frasier, a jeweler and couturier, who shared her experiences building and growing a creative business despite the challenges of navigating social media and an increasingly digital marketplace.

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Frasier's online business features jewelry, natural stones and shells. During the conversation, she discussed the significance she associates with natural materials and how stones and shells can be connected to personal energy, intention and individual goals.

She also shared practical insight into operating a small creative business online, including her experience using Etsy as part of establishing her digital presence and reaching customers.

Frasier was interviewed by high school student Essence Richards, giving Richards the opportunity to participate directly in the interview process and develop communication and media skills while learning from a working entrepreneur.

Frasier was also interviewed by LaVerne Bowen, owner of Julia Lynn Productions Inc., adding another perspective to the conversation about entrepreneurship, creativity and adapting a business during changing times.

Her story demonstrated an important lesson for participating students: entrepreneurs do not have to master every aspect of technology or social media before building a business. They can continue learning, adapting and identifying platforms that allow them to reach customers and grow.

A Student's Perspective: Kai Robinson on Life During COVID-19

Julia Lynn Productions also recognized that documenting the pandemic required hearing directly from young people experiencing it.

Kai Robinson, a local student, was interviewed about how COVID-19 affected his daily routine, relationships and connection with the outside world.

His perspective explored the significant role social media played during the pandemic as schools closed, routines changed and in-person interactions became limited.

Robinson discussed how digital and social platforms became increasingly important for staying connected with friends and family while also keeping young people informed about rapidly changing events taking place around the world.

Including a student voice alongside those of entrepreneurs helped broaden the project beyond career exploration. It provided an opportunity for young people to reflect on their own experiences and recognize that their perspectives were also an important part of documenting this historic period.

About Julia Lynn Productions Inc.

Julia Lynn Productions Inc. develops youth-centered educational and media experiences that connect students with professionals, entrepreneurs and real-world career pathways. Through interviews, media production, experiential learning and community partnerships, JLP creates opportunities for young people to develop practical skills, strengthen their voices and discover possibilities beyond the traditional classroom.