Strength in Numbers: Paramount’s 6th Annual Intern Community Day
By Riya Hariharan
On July 24th 178 Paramount interns and team captains took part in Paramount's 6th annual Intern Community Day – a day focused on interns participating in Paramount’s tradition of giving back to the community and immersing themselves in the company culture. The Paramount Social Impact team, in collaboration with Paramount Emerging Talent team, supported 10 in-office, virtual and in-field volunteer events which interns could participate in.
Paramount Intern Community Day partners this year included:
Story Pirates: Story Pirates is an arts education organization, which provides literacy and creative writing programs to young students in Title I schools and homeless shelters. Paramount interns came together to learn about the organization, read stories written by young writers and provide encouragement to fuel their passion for storytelling.
Danae Daniels (MTVE Studios Franchise Social Team Social Media Marketing intern), worked with Story Pirates to read creative short stories and write letters to young authors. For Danae, reading second grader Naomi’s writing was a highlight. “Naomi's story was both cute and original, showcasing her creative potential and the power of young imaginations. As a journalism student, I found this experience incredibly enriching. Not only did it allow me to connect with and encourage young writers, but it also helped me refine my own skills in giving thoughtful feedback and recognizing the unique voices in each story. This entire experience at Paramount has reaffirmed my belief in the importance of nurturing young talent, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to give back during my internship.”
JASA: JASA is an agency serving older adults in New York City, providing critical services and building community for over 40,000 people annually. For Intern Community Day, volunteers joined JASA senior community members for an afternoon of camp activities, including a hula hoop contest, corn hole, intergenerational storytelling and indoor s’mores.
The Bay Foundation: The Bay Foundation works to restore and enhance Santa Monica’s Bay through improving water quality and conserving and rehabilitating natural resources. A cohort of LA interns spent the morning restoring Manhattan Beach by removing invasive plants while learning about the environment.
Good + Foundation: Good + Foundation works to dismantle multi-generational poverty by pairing tangible goods with innovative services for low-income fathers, mothers and caregivers. Volunteers in LA and NYC helped prepare children’s donations such as clothing and diapers, which were then sent out to program partners.
Material for the Arts is a local NYC organization supporting the creative arts through collecting reusable arts materials and connecting students and teachers together. Interns immersed themselves in supplies as they stocked, organized, and arranged donations on the shelves. Jonathan Aguilar (CBS Affiliate Marketing Intern) recalls “It was a great experience to learn about the donations they receive from fashion/beauty/art brands that turn into supplies for art pieces for anyone in New York. We were able to meet the Artist in Residence who was truly talented, and we got to see her studio. Everyone that works there truly cares about the importance of recycling, art, and expression.”
Across town, younger and older generations came together at Senior Summer Camp with JASA – interns and JASA members played games and swapped stories about travel, music, art and even online dating! Talking with 92-year-old cornhole champion Gloria, “put a lot of perspective on my life and inspired me to be more adventurous, positive and healthy going forward!” notes Caleb Liu (Product Manager Intern).
This year’s Intern Community Day resulted in 163 volunteers and 305.5 volunteer hours, leaving a lasting impact on community partners and interns. “I love how Community Day allows us to bond together as interns while also serving the community,” says Sophia Leone (Paramount Pictures National Publicity Intern).
As Paramount moves forward, social impact core values and initiatives will continue to take center stage in the workplace. Highlighting the company’s great strength of making interns feel like a part of the company culture, Intern Community Day is here to stay.
