Exceptional Minds Internships Mark 'Summer of Inclusion' for Individuals With Autism

Original Exceptional Minds Press Release via Newswire:

Exceptional Minds Internships Mark 'Summer of Inclusion' for Individuals With Autism

It's a blockbuster summer of internships for Exceptional Minds students and artists on the autism spectrum who are spending their summer at Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and elsewhere.

Nickelodeon Opens Doors to Young Intern

Kate Jorgensen will start her third year at Exceptional Minds school for individuals on the spectrum after a summer internship at Nickelodeon.

SHERMAN OAKS, Calif., August 2, 2019 (Newswire.com) - “We’re calling it the ‘summer of inclusion’ because it’s not only our graduates but also our second- and third-year students who are being sought out for internships,” said Exceptional Minds Executive Director Jeffrey Shapiro.

Exceptional Minds is a school and professional studio that prepares individuals with autism for careers in animation and visual effects, the only nonprofit organization of its kind serving a population that is underrepresented in the workforce.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 84% of adults with autism are unemployed.

Internships, according to Shapiro, provide an opportunity for organizations and individuals to break down some of the stereotypes of autism, which can be a barrier to meaningful employment for individuals, as well as for companies seeking to recruit good talent.

In addition to Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., Ingenuity Studios, Mr. Wolf, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Picture Shop have opened their doors to Exceptional Minds artists and students this summer. At least one has kept that door open longer than expected. “We are happy to hold on to Nick and Raymond for a bit longer - we've extended their internship into the late summer,” said Picture Shop’s Executive Vice President of VFX Tom Kendall, referring to Exceptional Minds students Raymond Huang and Nicholas Dodge. Both students will continue on at Picture Shop through the summer working on one of the studio’s more high-profile television projects.

Young intern, David Miles, at The Academy

Exceptional Minds graduate David Miles is finishing up an internship at The Academy this summer in addition to his duties at Exceptional Minds studio and Unicorn Island.

“Internships give companies and studios the opportunity to bring in someone they normally wouldn’t hire. They get to add different voices in a risk-averse way,” commented David Miles, a 2015 graduate of Exceptional Minds’ three-year program, who is spending the summer at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, participating in an education initiative. Miles has served internship roles at Psychic Bunny, Cartoon Network, Discovery Channel, and Unicorn Island, where he is now part of the animation team for YouTube star Lilly “Superwoman” Singh. He also works in the studio at Exceptional Minds, a nonprofit professional training academy and studio for artists on the autism spectrum.

“Any interaction with autistic folk can and will dispel stereotypes,” agreed second-year Exceptional Minds student Kate Jorgensen, who is helping out at Nickelodeon this summer doing script breakdowns, asset call-outs and other duties for a new animated series. “Internships are wonderful because it encourages more people to engage with the autism community from a business standpoint,” added Jorgensen, who resumes her training at Exceptional Minds in the fall and plans to go on to a career in animation after graduating the three-year program in 2020.

Exceptional Minds started the training academy in 2011 and in 2014, opened a professional studio to bring in contract work for graduates of its three-year program. Since then, Exceptional Minds artists with autism have completed 196 projects for movies and television shows, including recent blockbuster Avengers: Endgame and Oscar-nominated movies Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, First Man, Green Book and Solo: A Star Wars Story, as well as for notable TV shows such as Game of Thrones and The Good Doctor.

The school now annually serves an average of 250 full-time, part-time, and privately tutored students (as well as graduate artists), providing technical and behavioral training to a population sorely underrepresented in both the labor market and society as a whole.


Source: Exceptional Minds

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More Nick: Nickelodeon Embarks on New Direction with its Biggest, Most Wide-Ranging Content Slate Ever!

H/T: Digital Journal.

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Nickelodeon Exec Ross McGraw and His Wife Jordi Lippe-McGraw Announce Their Pregnancy

A couple that promised each other that they would visit all seven continents before having children just announced their pregnancy — in Antarctica!

@rjmcgraw and I made each other a promise that we would visit all the continents before we had kids. So, it makes sense to announce from Antarctica, our final continent, that we are expecting Baby Boy McGraw this May. We can't wait for this next adventure! #antarctica #baby #babyboy #babyannouncement #travel #travelgram #nature #travelphotography #penguin #pregnant #love #naturephotography #adventurewithRD #travelerinantartica #instapassport

A post shared by Jordi Lippe McGraw (@welltraveler) on Jan 17, 2018 at 12:59pm PST

Travel writer Jordi Lippe-McGraw and her husband Ross McGraw, Director of Partner Marketing, New Business at Nickelodeon and Viacom and a top internationally ranked Team USA triathlete, posted a picture of themselves — and a wandering penguin — at a volcano to share the news on Instagram and Facebook.

It is the last continent that New York Upper West Siders Lippe-McGraw, 31, and McGraw, 32 — high-school sweethearts who got married in 2015 — had to check off the list.

“Ross and I have always loved traveling and have been lucky enough to see a lot of amazing places together,” says Lippe-McGraw, who occasionally contributes to The New York Post. “Before we got married, we decided to make a pact to visit all the continents before having children as a fun challenge. Antarctica happened to be the last, a trip we planned two years earlier, and I happened to be pregnant. So, what better way to announce it?”

The pair reached the far-flung destination by flying to Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Jan. 12, then taking a flight to Ushuaia, Argentina — the southernmost city in the world — and then boarding a boat through the Drake Passage to Antarctica.

The baby is more well-traveled than most adults, having already been to nine countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, Argentina and Antarctica.

And there’s more to come: The couple plan on going to Peru in February for a Amazon river cruise.

Congrats Jordi and Ross!! :)

Additional source: LinkedIn.

Jordan Banjo and Naomi Courts Expecting First Baby

A huge congratulations are in order for Nickelodeon star Jordan Banjo and his girlfriend Naomi Courts, who have just announced that they're expecting their first child!

Nickelodeon star Jordan Banjo is expecting his first baby with girlfriend Naomi Courts, who he has been dating for two years!

Finally able to say this out loud after keeping it a secret for so long, huge news for me and my beautiful girl @naomiella21...we’re going to be PARENTS🙌🏾 A huge step forward and cannot wait to meet our little man in May! Massive thank you to everyone for all the congratulations so far❤️ Our full interview is out tomorrow in @ok_mag #BabyBanjo #PapaBanj

A post shared by Jordan Banjo (@jordbanjo) on Jan 22, 2018 at 9:11am PST

Ashley Banjo's youngest brother – who regulary presents Kids' Choice Awards and SLIMEFEST with co-host Perri Kiely for Nickelodeon UK & Ireland - couldn't be more excited to become a dad for the first time.

The Diversity star – who rose to fame in the dance group after winning Britain's Got Talent in 2009 and has also featured on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and is currently presenting on ITV's Dancing On Ice – told OK! magazine about their baby news.

Here's everything you need to know about Jordan and Naomi's baby details, from bump to birth...

Jordan Banjo and his pregnant girlfriend Naomi Courts are expecting their first baby [Jordan Banjo/Instagram]

Jordan Banjo and Naomi Courts baby announcement

The couple revealed exclusively to OK! magazine the pregnancy news, after revealing they hadn't been trying for a baby.

Naomi said: "I wanted to be sure so I went out and bought eight more tests. I sat with them all laid out in front of me on the bathroom floor, staring at them in disbelief.

"We always said we wanted kids together, we just didn’t think it would happen this soon. We’re over the moon, though!"

Jordan Banjo and his pregnant girlfriend Naomi Courts have been together for two years [Naomi Courts/Instagram]

Jordan Banjo and Naomi Courts are having a baby boy

Revealing the sex of the baby, Naomi admitted she was expecting it to be a girl.

She told OK! magazine: "I started crying when they said it was a boy because I was completely convinced we were having a girl.

"I was delighted it was a boy but I felt very overwhelmed, as I'd mentally prepared myself for it to be a daughter."

Jordan Banjo's girlfriend Naomi Ella expecting a baby boy [Naomi Ella/Instagram]

Ashley Banjo's response to becoming an uncle

Jordan admitted his older brother – who has been married to Francesca Abbott since 2015 – is excited about the new arrival.

He told the publication: "I think they half expected us to announce we were getting engaged! Ashley’s really happy for us.

"He’s been calling me Papa Banj, which is what we call my dad."

Ashley Banjo is happy for his younger brother Jordan Banjo [Jordan Banjo/Instagram]

Jordan Banjo and Naomi Courts' due date

The couple have already found out the sex of their baby, meaning it's likely they've passed the 20 weeks mark.

If this is the case, Jordan could become a dad in the spring of 2018.

Naomi Courts pregnancy symptoms

Unfortunately, Naomi has suffered with severe morning sickness, just like the Duchess of Cambridge.

She explained: "I was signed off work for ten weeks with hyperemesis gravidarum. It felt like I was spending every minute of the day throwing up – I couldn’t even keep a glass of water down.

"The doctor gave me loads of different anti-sickness tablets but they didn’t make a difference. It’s only in the past few weeks that I’ve started to feel more normal."

Exceptional Minds Gets the Job Done

Original Exceptional Minds Press Release via PR Newswire:

Exceptional Minds Gets the Job Done

School for young adults with autism is focused on abilities, not disabilities, to create jobs.

Recent Exceptional Minds graduate Nicky Benoist is working on Nickelodeon TV series "100 Things to Do Before High School." (PRNewsFoto/Exceptional Minds)

SHERMAN OAKS, Calif., Sept. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Exceptional Minds isn't counting on disability initiatives to employ its skilled visual effects artists who happen to be on the autism spectrum.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150925/270738

It doesn't have to.

The thriving vocational school for young adults with autism is not only preparing its students on the spectrum for the competitive fields of visual effects and digital animation, its graduates are being sought after by all walks of the industry.

"We're a small, boutique studio. Every person here counts," says Mike Pryor, the Executive Producer for Mr. Wolf in Culver City, Calif., which added Exceptional Minds graduate Nicky Benoist to its three-man operation after a brief internship.

So while larger companies like Microsoft, Vodafone and SAP are seeking out autistic workers to round out a large workforce, smaller firms like Mr. Wolf are hiring skilled workers on the spectrum to fill key roles because it makes good business sense.

The visual effects studio for television and film hired Nicky Benoist as its assistant to the creative director in June, a day after the 26-year-old graduated from Exceptional Minds' comprehensive three-year vocational program. He provides green screen comps, cleanup and graphic additions on visual effects shots. His most recent project is Nickelodeon's TV series, "100 Things to Do Before High School."

"We saw what Nicky could do and, in fact, we are looking into expanding our business because of his skillset," comments Pryor.

Exceptional Minds vocational school and working studio provides young men and women on the spectrum with training and experience in the visual arts, including live-action CG integration, 3D animation, story development, and marker tracking removal and compositing. The school and working studio has a close working relationship with the visual effects industry. Its graduate artists have contributed visual effects and title work on movies such as "Ant-Man," "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," and "Game of Thrones."

"Rather than focus on perceived disabilities, we're bringing out the abilities in these individuals. That is what studios of all sizes are drawn to, the ability of our graduates to produce exceptional work," says Susan Zwerman, Visual Effects Executive Producer and Job Developer for Exceptional Minds.

Unique to the school is its job development program that provides its graduates with the additional support needed to attain and sustain employment, as well as ongoing support to the companies that hire them. "I finally feel like I'm starting my life," says Nicky, who had received his associate's degree in Computer Drafting and Design from ITT Technical Institute prior to enrolling in Exceptional Minds, but was unable to take the next step into employment due to a lack of self-confidence and interviewing skills. "He has been contributing since Day One. We have yet to throw him something he can't handle," says Pryor of Nicky's capabilities today.

More than 3.5 million Americans are living with an autism spectrum disorder, with one in 68 children now being affected (up from one in 88 just two years ago). Some 500,000 children with autism will enter adulthood during the next decade. Currently, an estimated 90 percent of adults with autism are unemployed or underemployed; autism services cost U.S. citizens over $200 billion each year.

Exceptional Minds is a pioneer in providing vocational training in the fields of animation and visual effects and a model for other vocational programs.

About Exceptional Minds (http://www.exceptionalmindsstudio.org): Exceptional Minds is a non-profit vocational center and working production studio for young adults on the autism spectrum. It was chartered in 2011 to provide the training necessary for creatively gifted individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) who may not otherwise be able to make the transition from high school to careers. Exceptional Minds offers technical proficiency and work readiness training that prepares students for careers in graphic arts, animation, web design, visual effects and rotoscoping. Located in Sherman Oaks, California, Exceptional Minds is both an instructional learning facility and a working studio with hands-on student involvement in production projects, many for the film industry.

Contact: Dee McVicker
Grassroots Communications
Gilbert, Arizona
480.545.7363
[...]

SOURCE Exceptional Minds

RELATED LINKS
http://www.exceptionalmindsstudio.org

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"Drake & Josh" Stars Josh Peck And Yvette Nicole Brown Reunite

Hot on the heels of recent Nickelodeon reunions, two more Nickelodeon stars have reunited, this time, Josh Peck and Yvette Nicole Brown!

Josh Peck, who starred as one half of the show's fun-loving brother duo on the hit Nickelodeon show "Drake & Josh", recently shared an adorable selfie with Yvette Nicole Brown, who played Josh's take-no-prisoners manager of the The Premiere, the movie theater Josh's character worked at:

"Helen and Josh finally getting along. Love u @YNB," Peck tweeted. For four seasons, Josh and Yvette's characters, Josh Nichols and Helen Dubois, respectively, were often at each other's throats, so it's nice to see the two have put aside their on-screen squabbles for all the die-hard "Drake & Josh" fans out there.

Since the Nickelodeon sitcom ended eight years ago, both Nickelodeon stars have gone on to lead hugely successful careers in showbiz. Brown went on to star in fan-favorites "Community" and "The Odd Couple", and even reprised her role of Helen on the "Victorious" episode "Helen Back Again", and Peck has gone on to voice Casey Jones in Nickelodeon's hit CG-animated "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" TV series, and is also starring alongside John Stamos and Christina Milian in Fox's new show "Grandfathered".

What would have been the cherry on top of this epic reunion? The entire cast — Josh, Yvette, Drake Bell, Miranda Cosgrove, Jonathan Goldstein and Nancy Sullivan - of course!

Original sources: E! Online UK, Hollywood Life.

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Nickelodeon Star And "iCarly" Actress Miranda Cosgrove Buys $2.65m Hollywood Hills Home

Below is a news article from the Daily Mail which talks about and features photos of Nickelodeon Star Miranda Cosgrove's brand new house in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, which is located in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains in California, USA:

iNvesting in her future! Nickelodeon star Miranda Cosgrove buys $2.65m Hollywood mansion

That's some starter home! iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove, 19, buys $2.65m Hollywood Hills home

She made a small fortune as the star of hit children's TV show iCarly.

And it seems teenager Miranda Cosgrove is wise beyond her years, as she has invested some of her fortune to buy a $2.65m home in the Hollywood Hills, according to Trulia Luxe Living.

The 19-year-old will certainly have plenty of room to hold pyjama parties in the three bedroom house, which has been recently renovated.

iCan't believe she could afford it: iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove has splashed out $2.65m on a Hollywood Hills home
She has cash to burn after raking in around $180,000 per episode of iCarly, which made her the one of the highest-paid child stars on television.

And since its five year stint at the top came to an end in November, what better time to prudently invest in a spot of prime real estate.

The posh property will be the perfect place for the cerebral star to stay while pursuing her degree at the University of California's Los Angeles campus.

It is located conveniently near to the lecture halls and classrooms she will attend while studying for a degree in theatre and writing.

Fancy: Having a second sitting room is always a sign of an expensive property

A second seat of learning: While she is studying for her degree she can also work on her housewife skills by cooking in her well-equipped kitchen

Worth chandaleering at: The exquisite dining room comes complete with an attractive crystal light fixture

An i for a bargain: Miranda will be hoping to make a tidy profit when the time comes for her to sell it on
Property records show the purchase for the 2,942 square foot property closed on October 22, 2012.

It is certainly spacious, with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a 12,699 square foot lot.

The renovated, traditional home has was meticulously designed by the owner, with no expense spared.

It features gloriously detailed en-suite bathrooms for every bedroom, though perhaps most importantly for the young starlet, there is a walk-in closet that offers plenty of room to store her shoes.

Masterful design: A tasteful young starlet like Miranda will have been swayed by the bedroom stylings

Room to spare: Miranda will be able to have truly epic pyjama parties now she has two extra bedroom to play with

Room with a shoe: The actress will be able to keep her surely sizable collection of footwear in good order here
She will also be able to hone her domestic goddess skills in the gourmet chef’s kitchen with Carrera marble, Subzero commercial refrigerator, Viking range and Bosch dishwasher.

There is also a media and family room with wet bar, and gracious living and formal dining rooms.

But perhaps most importantly for the actress, who has a horde of fanatical supporters, the property is completely hedged and fenced in the front and back for privacy.

The grassy garden features a re-plastered pool and spa, covered pavilion with flat screen TV, and multiple sitting areas.

An imperial place to lather: The clean living star will surely enjoy plenty of sessions in the standalone tub

Water wonderful feature: She will be thankful for the pool and spa when the sweltering California summer comes

No fans please: Miranda made sure she keeps supporters at arms length with a locking gate and high hedges