Volunteer Coordinator and Program Producer
Organization:
Malden Access TV VISTA Name:
Ilirjan Qirici
Program Start:
4/2001
Program End:
4/2004
Project Description:
Ilirjan (Liri) Qirici has completed his second year with MATV as part of the CTC VISTA Project. Whereas a good part of the first year involved finding ways to adapt the work environment to meet Liri’s physical needs so that he could develop to his full potential as a staff member, the second year was marked by Liri’s complete immersion in his daily worklife at MATV. Liri has made tremendous progress in his professional and personal goals and has contributed in great measure to the expansion of MATV’s volunteer and community programming capacity. It is not an understatement to say that Liri’s presence alone has attracted and inspired a great many volunteers to participate at MATV.
Project goals for both years are as follows:
Goal 1: Tutorial Production Instructor for MATV members/interns
Goal 2: Executive Producer of Community Show Malden Square
Goal 3: Producer/Director of Community Show “What Is…? “
Project Outcome:
Presently, Liri is in the midst of developing two critical projects that could have an impact on underserved populations in greater Boston and beyond. The Massachusetts State Association for the Deaf has been meeting regularly with Liri and other MATV staff to develop and train its members to begin production of a new TV program – Deaf Community News – a show to be produced by and for the deaf and hard of hearing community. Secondly, Liri is coordinating the staff and clients from Triangle, Inc. (a non-profit organization providing employment, residential and social services to people with disabilities) in the production of a monthly magazine TV show to be produced entirely by developmentally and physically disabled adults.
This past year, Liri has produced and directed a monthly program entitled What Is…? that focuses on medical illnesses, disabilities, and disease prevention. He has developed a crew of ten volunteers that handle all aspects of the production process. The program involves and promotes many local non-profit health-related organizations and medical institutions. This program won first prize in the “Talk Show” category at the Alliance for Community Media Northeast Region Video Festival in the fall of 2002. Liri will continue to produce this quality program in the coming year.
Liri’s work at the Cyber Café @ Malden Square has been as an ambassador of communications technology – teaching, nurturing, and challenging volunteers and patrons from all backgrounds to learn and utilize technology to improve their lives.
Liri is working with MATV to acquire additional assistive technology, in particular, voice-activated digital editing software that will increase his independence and productivity at MATV.
Note: Liri produced a segment of the Commonwealth Broadband Collaborative’s “First Tuesday” program that was cablecast throughout eastern Massachusetts and webcast on May 4, 2004 that covers his own VISTA work and can be seen by going to the project’s video archives at .
Impact Quote:
Liri has made tremendous progress in his professional and personal goals and has contributed in great measure to the expansion of MATV’s volunteer and community programming capacity. It is not an understatement to say that Liri’s presence alone has attracted and inspired a great many volunteers to participate at MATV.