Who knew what it takes to create a video game? Or design a cool pair of kicks? Or build a building??? The more than 550 7th graders who attended Cool Jobs learned a lot about jobs in the creative economy and met some very cool people in the process. 

Over three days, more than 550 7th grade students from 12 Philadelphia public schools visited a the event space Moulin in East Falls to meet with a range of not-so-starving artists, designers, and other creative professionals.

Kids learned about careers most did not know were within reach, such as game designer, print maker, industrial designer, architect, photographer, chef, muralist and illustrator, to name a few of the professions represented in this three-day, pop-up career expo -- the first of its kind.

A "dream wall" near the exit offered an opportunity for kids to write what they might want to be when they grow up. Some were clearly influenced by the presenters they'd met.

Rico Joseph, Jr. "I am thinking of designing shoes when I grow up. When I see him do it, it looks fun to me."

Jeremy Schmeltzer: "I love this, love this trip. My favorite part was when we went to where the chef was. He gave us samples. That was very good."

Emmanuel Santiago Jr. had a larger takeaway from the morning he spent at Cool Jobs.

""Art is really important because we make art everyday and the clothes you have on -- they made it by art and they made it in their heads to become a reality in the world."

Fresh Artists is grateful to the many funders who made this ambitous undertaking possible, in particular the The Knight Foundation and A.C. Moore.