Keeping It Real

• Domenico Randazzo, Chief Operating Officer, Real World Academy & Music Producer/Artist  
• Dr. Anthony Longo, Vice President of Community Outreach, Real World Academy & Physician

Guest: Nick Ditri - Disco Fries, Producer, DJ, Label Owner, Investor

Platform: Real World Academy Studio

https://www.realworldacademy.org/ 

Real World Academy:

• Real World Academy is unique in that it also works with students at transitions, all the way from high school until the workforce. Many "college prep" are simply SAT prep courses, and do nothing to continue working with the student to make sure they actually succeed. Real World Academy is MUCH more than that.
• Real World Academy lets any high school student or parent hire an "Agent," a customized counselor and life coach. But simply having an agent does not mean that you will succeed. Students need to take initiative and self-actualize.
• Real World Academy is unique in its industry ties. We will help any of our interested students find an internship.

Topics:
How to make it as an artist-entrepreneur in 2021?

Hosts:

• Domenico Randazzo, Chief Operating Officer, Real World Academy & Music Producer/Artist  
• Dr. Anthony Longo, Vice President of Community Outreach, Real World Academy & Physician

Guest Commentator: Lincoln Farquharson, Chief Strategy Officer, Real World Academy

Platform: Real World Academy Studio

https://www.realworldacademy.org/ 

Real World Academy:

• Real World Academy is unique in that it also works with students at transitions, all the way from high school until the workforce. Many "college prep" are simply SAT prep courses, and do nothing to continue working with the student to make sure they actually succeed. Real World Academy is MUCH more than that.
• Real World Academy lets any high school student or parent hire an "Agent," a customized counselor and life coach. But simply having an agent does not mean that you will succeed. Students need to take initiative and self-actualize.
• Real World Academy is unique in its industry ties. We will help any of our interested students find an internship.

Topics:
The impact of Covid on high school education & counseling.
When is it time to seek out a counselor?
The psychological impacts of quarantine, and how they affect learning.
What are the best coping mechanisms and wellness strategies for students, parents, and educators moving forward?

Hosts:

• Domenico Randazzo, Chief Operating Officer, Real World Academy & Music Producer/Artist  
• Dr. Anthony Longo, Vice President of Community Outreach, Real World Academy & Physician

Guest Commentator: Lincoln Farquharson, Chief Strategy Officer, Real World Academy

Platform: Real World Academy Studio

https://www.realworldacademy.org/ 

Real World Academy:

• Real World Academy is unique in that it also works with students at transitions, all the way from high school until the workforce. Many "college prep" are simply SAT prep courses, and do nothing to continue working with the student to make sure they actually succeed. Real World Academy is MUCH more than that.
• Real World Academy lets any high school student or parent hire an "Agent," a customized counselor and life coach. But simply having an agent does not mean that you will succeed. Students need to take initiative and self-actualize.
• Real World Academy is unique in its industry ties. We will help any of our interested students find an internship.

Topics:
The impact of Covid on high school education & counseling.
When is it time to seek out a counselor?
The psychological impacts of quarantine, and how they affect learning.
What are the best coping mechanisms and wellness strategies for students, parents, and educators moving forward?

Guest Hosts:

 Lincoln Farquharson, Chief Strategy Officer, Real World Academy 
 Garth Birch, Chief Executive Officer, Real World Academy


Inverted Guests: 

Domenico Randazzo, Chief Operating Officer, Real World Academy & Music Producer/Artist  
Dr. Anthony Longo, Vice President of Community Outreach, Real World Academy & General Physician
 
Platform: Real World Academy Studio
 
Real World Academy:

Real World Academy is unique in that it also works with students at transitions, all the way from high school until the workforce. Many "college prep" are simply SAT prep courses, and do nothing to continue working with the student to make sure they actually succeed. Real World Academy is MUCH more than that.
Real World Academy lets any high school student or parent hire an "Agent," a customized counselor and life coach. But simply having an agent does not mean that you will succeed. Students need to take initiative and self-actualize.
Real World Academy gives students the extra time needed that is not afforded by their guidance counselors. The ability to hand select an Agent catered towards your skills and pull from the entire organization's school and industry contacts are unparalleled.

Topics:

What is Anthony's story?  What is the story of Anthony Longo, the "science" half of the co-founder duo?  
What is Domenico's story?  What is the story of Domenico Randazzo, the "arts" half of the co-founder duo?
How did Real World Academy come to be? How did the organization get its start in Newark?
How did the mentoring program begin?  Why was Domenico, a great student, so dissatisfied with high school? What did a TED Talk have to do with this? How did the first iteration of the program begin?

Hosts:
Domenico Randazzo, Chief Operating Officer, Real World Academy & Music Producer/Artist 
Dr. Anthony Longo, Vice President of Community Outreach, Real World Academy & General Physician

Guest Commentator: Lincoln Farquharson, Chief Strategy Officer, Real World Academy
 
Guest: Garth Birch, Chief Executive Officer, Real World Academy

Platform: Real World Academy Studio

Real World Academy:
Real World Academy is unique in that it also works with students at transitions, all the way from high school until the workforce. Many "college prep" are simply SAT prep courses, and do nothing to continue working with the student to make sure they actually succeed. Real World Academy is MUCH more than that.
Real World Academy lets any high school student or parent hire an "Agent," a customized counselor and life coach. But simply having an agent does not mean that you will succeed. Students need to take initiative and self-actualize.
Real World Academy gives students the extra time needed that is not afforded by their guidance counselors. The ability to hand select an Agent catered towards your skills and pull from the entire organization's school and industry contacts are unparalleled.

Topics:
What is your background, and how did you come to be the CEO of an education nonprofit with offerings in college prep?
What are the shortcomings of the guidance offerings in many schools? How much time does the average counselor have to spend with each student? Why do college prep organizations need to exist?
What should parents expect from the college application process? What are the pitfalls? Are there hidden costs? Are there certain "pearls" of advice that you have for parents, having gone through this yourself?
Is it worth paying extra to college prep organizations?  Are the potential lifelong benefits worth the upfront cost? What do "custom" guidance counselors offer?
What do parents of arts students need to know specifically? How is the college application process radically different for this pool of applicants? How will an unprepared student fare in this lion's den?

Hosts:

• Domenico Randazzo, Chief Operating Officer, Real World Academy & Music Producer/Artist  
• Dr. Anthony Longo, Vice President of Community Outreach, Real World Academy & Physician

Guest Commentator: Lincoln Farquharson, Chief Strategy Officer, Real World Academy & Founder of our Newark College Institute

Platform: Real World Academy Studio

Real World Academy:

• Real World Academy is unique in that it also works with students at transitions, all the way from high school until the workforce. Many "college prep" are simply SAT prep courses, and do nothing to continue working with the student to make sure they actually succeed. Real World Academy is MUCH more than that.
• Real World Academy lets any high school student or parent hire an "Agent," a customized counselor and life coach. But simply having an agent does not mean that you will succeed. Students need to take initiative and self-actualize.
• Real World Academy is unique in its industry ties. We will help any of our interested students find an internship.

Topics:

• How to get an internship? Where do I find them? How do I stand out on an application?
• Paid vs. unpaid internships. Are there scenarios where one is better than the other?
• Timing. What years are the best years to get internships in both high school and college? Do internships distract from your schoolwork? How do you balance life as an intern and a student?
• Translating an internship into a job. How do I accomplish this, and is the internship path becoming a more common pathway into the workforce? Is this a way to "guarantee" a job after college?

Hosts:

• Domenico Randazzo, Chief Operating Officer, Real World Academy & Music Producer/Artist  
• Dr. Anthony Longo, Vice President of Community Outreach, Real World Academy & Physician

Guest: Carline Reed, Facilitator, Real World Academy & CEO of Project B.U.I.L.D.

 Guest Commentator: Lincoln Farquharson, Chief Strategy Officer, Real World Academy & Founder of Newark College Institute

 Real World Academy:

• Real World Academy lets any high school student or parent hire an "Agent," a customized counselor and life coach. But simply having an agent does not mean that you will succeed. Students need to take initiative and self-actualize.
• Real World Academy is unique in its industry ties. We will help any of our interested students find an internship or a mentor.

Topics:

• Why is it important to have a mentor? What advantages do mentors confer? Are there different types of mentors? Career mentor, motivational mentor, teacher? Can a teacher or a professor be a mentor?
• How to find a mentor. Does this happen organically or are there organizations to help you find mentors? Does a mentor's interests or skills have to exactly match yours? Can you have more than one mentor?
• Timing.  At what stage in your life would you benefit from a mentor?

What should the expectations be of a good mentor? How much is too much to expect? Can they help you get a job, or does their access to the industry give you opportunities you might not have had?

Hi everyone, I’m Domenico Randazzo and I’m here with my cousin, Dr. Anthony Longo. We are the founders of Real World Academy. Together, we’re launching our very first Keeping It Real Podcast.

Currently, we are faced with a crisis in education. Students are being thrown into a very harsh and unforgiving world, without being given the necessary tools to design their future in a way that truly generates success and personal well-being. Instead, students participate in a cookie-cutter style school system that only serves a select few.

There is a fundamental lack of holistic mentorship in our current public education system, and it is causing generational damage. Our organization mentors students from their adolescence through early adulthood. While we do focus on improving students’ academic achievement, we also teach Social-Emotional Development and Professional Development. We’ve realized through working with our students how much a "growth" mindset is lacking in a traditional classroom setting.

So, the purpose of the Keeping It Real podcast is to spread this philosophy and learn from the best in the education space, so we can make the most of this movement and help students design their future.