-- Streetlights has announced its upcoming 35th anniversary, commemorating more than three decades of creating real career pathways for young adults seeking opportunities behind the camera. Founded in 1992 by commercial producer Dorothy Thompson in the aftermath of the Los Angeles civil unrest, Streetlights has grown into a proven workforce pipeline for film, television, commercials, and streaming media, combining free industry training, paid production experience, job placement, mentorship, and career advancement support for young adults who have too often been left outside the industry’s networks.
Since 1992, Streetlights has tackled inequities in behind-the-camera hiring through a model that moves beyond inspiration and into action. The organization provides vocational education, paid on-the-job training, career placement, and ongoing professional support so participants can move from entry-level opportunity to long-term financial stability and professional growth. Many participants enter the program while earning below a living wage or navigating significant employment barriers, including aging out of foster care or previous incarceration.
Today, Streetlights remains one of the few organizations offering free production assistant training that includes classroom instruction taught by working industry professionals, paid production experience on active sets, guaranteed job placement, mentorship, and career advancement support. The organization also serves as a trusted resource for production companies seeking trained crew members who understand set culture, arrive prepared, and are ready to contribute from day one.
Executive Director Adele B. Wilson believes the anniversary represents an opportunity to reaffirm the organization's purpose during a period of ongoing change across both the entertainment industry and the broader workforce.
“Streetlights has remained committed to creating real career opportunities for talented individuals who have too often been overlooked,” Wilson said. “Our mission has always been about more than employment. It is about creating lasting economic mobility, strengthening the industry's talent pipeline, and ensuring that opportunity reaches people based on their potential.”
Wilson joined Streetlights in 2007 after a career spanning entertainment production and performance, along with producing social awareness campaigns focused on issues including violence prevention, human trafficking, and diversity in media. She has continued to build on the foundation established by Thompson while maintaining the organization's long-standing commitment to social and economic opportunity.
Streetlights' mission extends far beyond technical training. Participants receive career guidance, life skills development, mentorship, and practical workplace preparation designed to help them build sustainable futures. Graduates have gone on to secure well-paying industry careers that enable them to purchase homes, support families, and achieve long-term financial independence, proof that workforce development can create lasting community impact.
One of Streetlights’ most visible success stories is graduate Matthew A. Cherry, who won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2020 for “Hair Love.” After a deal with Warner Bros., HBO Max launched the Emmy-nominated series “Young Love,” based on the film. Cherry continues his success directing television and feature films, reflecting the kind of long-term career pathway Streetlights was created to make possible.
Over the years, Streetlights has earned recognition from organizations including Bank of America, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the Los Angeles Business Journal, the Imagen Foundation, and the U.S. House of Representatives for its contributions to workforce development and social impact. Those honors reflect decades of collaboration between industry leaders, employers, donors, instructors, and graduates who have supported the organization's mission.
As the entertainment industry continues to change, Streetlights is investing in future generations of behind-the-camera professionals and preparing them for the realities of today’s sets, crews, and career pathways.
“Our work is far from finished,” Wilson added. “The industry continues to evolve, and so do the opportunities available to the people we serve. As we celebrate this milestone, we remain focused on preparing the next generation of skilled professionals and ensuring that talent, determination, and hard work continue to open doors that may once have seemed out of reach.”
About the company: Streetlights is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing social and economic equality by creating viable career pathways for underserved young adults behind the camera in commercials, television, film, and streaming media. Through free production assistant training, paid industry experience, job placement, mentorship, and career advancement services, Streetlights helps participants build careers, not just jobs, while strengthening the entertainment industry’s talent pipeline.
Contact Info:
Name: Adele B. Wilson
Email: Send Email
Organization: Streetlights
Website: https://www.streetlights.org/
Release ID: 89198696
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