03 Jun 2021 U of T student is WACC’s new summer intern

Helen Wu, a third-year student at the University of Toronto, studying jointly with Sheridan College to pursue Visual Culture & Communication, is WACC Global’s new summer intern.

Wu says she chose to apply for the position since she found it “really neat that WACC Global advocates for a range of worldwide topics such as climate change and digital communication rights.”   WACC, she adds, “empowers communities and gives people the tools they need to advance their rights and live peacefully.”

Wu will be working at WACC for two months under Canada’s Summer Jobs program.

Wu says she is excited to support WACC’s social media platforms. “I like the idea of combining two of my passions and values: art and community involvement, to support WACC’s journey in creating change in the world.”

She believes that a good design reflects well on the organization and its values, all while helping viewers learn about the organization’s goals.  “I think visuals really play a big role in connecting ideas together and bringing awareness to a topic, while also communicating important information that is easy to digest for a range of viewers,” she says.

In her designs, Wu says she prioritizes accessibility and creativity, and believes that audience-awareness is key to effective communication.  “It is relevant to be able to reach out to a range of audiences, from those organization partners to those who don’t know much about the topic at all.”

Asked what she hopes to learn during her stint at WACC, WU says she’d like to learn more about global issues and is “curious to see the strategies that WACC implements in their projects to support developing communities around the globe.”

As part of her role as Communications Assistant/ Multi-media writer, Wu will help with writing, research and other communication tasks, including the launch of the 2020 Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), WACC’s flagship initiative that monitors gender representation in the news media.

Born in Toronto, Wu grew up in Ottawa and discovered her passion for visual arts and volunteering at a young age. “I like creating art with different materials and experimenting all the time. I’m happy when I can connect with other people through my art.”

Her drive to volunteer ignited in grade 8, when she began to read to kindergarteners during her spare time.  She continues to volunteer within her community in Ottawa through her old elementary school and with children’s art camps. “I primarily engage in teaching art, English, math, and science for youth. It’s a fulfilling experience seeing kids make new discoveries.”

WACC is grateful to the Canadian Government for financial support under the Summer Jobs program.