FOLEY — In the early morning on Thursday, June 9, 25 Alabama students and their team leaders met at the OWA Parks and Resort festival grounds. Before them sat an empty stage and field.
Their jobs: work with leaders in the entertainment and tourism industry to set up and decorate tents and set the stage in preparation for an upcoming concert.
These students are participants in the first-ever RNT+ 5-Day Experience, created by the nonprofit Reach and Teach.
"Since we founded Reach and Teach in 2017, we have always dreamed of having a 'next level' experience for students to gain real-world experience and explore careers they may have never known existed," Reach and Teach Executive Director and Co-Founder April Clark said. "There are not a lot of opportunities like this in the entertainment industry, and, honestly, it's the only experience camp of its kind."
Students worked alongside industry professionals as they planned and executed the Tunes and Tan Lines Music Fest, which took place on Saturday, June 11.

Leading up to the concert, students took a backstage tour of Legends in Concert at OWA to get a firsthand look at the inner workings of a live stage show. They met with Brandon Styles and his wife, Diamond, to learn about bringing productions to life and marketing. They descended into the OWA warehouse and chose the decorations they would use to create the VIP and artist tents on the festival grounds.
And, of course, they learned to market, sell and execute a concert.
"Our participants are getting hands-on training from real industry professionals and creating connections that will change their life forever," Clark said. "It's been super fun to see the participants blossom over the last few days. They came in as complete strangers and have bonded in an incredibly special way."
Among the students selected were three Baldwin County natives: two Baldwin County Virtual Secondary School freshmen, Abbey McKee and Emily Warner, and Foley High freshman Kiari Booth. The experience is free to the participants.
"I'm really into music in general, so I figured since this is centered around music it would be a good learning experience and a good way to step outside my normal boundaries and do something for the summer," Warner said.
She's thinking of using the skills she's learning about the entertainment industry and pursuing her passion in animation.
Booth is interested in exploring careers in the entertainment industry, such as stage production, artist management, videography and more. McKee applied because of her interests in the music industry, including entertainment, hospitality, sound engineering and photography.
Clark said she hopes to continue the experience, offering more Alabama students the opportunity to gain experience in the entertainment industry and learn about careers they may have never considered before.
To learn more about the nonprofit Reach and Teach, visit reachandteach.rocks. To learn more about OWA Parks and Resort, check out VisitOWA.com.