Youth Media Lab Assistant
Organization:
Reel Works Teen Filmmaking VISTA Name:
Micheil Yohannes
Program Start:
1/2008
Program End:
1/2009
Project Description:
Our core media arts education program, The Lab, is a free after-school workshop that challenges Brooklyn high school students to produce short documentary videos about their lives. This program incorporates lessons in literacy (story-telling, scripting, editing), self-esteem and tolerance, technology and media literacy within the context of 1:1 mentoring with professional filmmakers.
The Lab Assistant will work with the Lab Coordinator, Directors, and other staff to enhance the capacity of The Lab, Reel Impact, and all other programs of Reel Works Teen Filmmaking. Duties include, but are not limited to
- media arts instruction;
- maintenance of technical equipment and media collection;
- assisting with the recruitment and training of volunteer filmmaker mentors;
- developing and maintaining relationships with schools, community centers, and neighborhoods in Brooklyn served by Reel Works;
- developing a youth advisory board;
- assisting with the distribution/outreach and public relations;
- and performing various administrative duties as needed.
Project Outcome:
In a lab used mainly by young people on a daily basis we run into many technical/equipment malfunctions that oftentimes have no explanation. Reel Works Teen Filmmaking operates on a “shoe-string” budget and would not have been as successful in the past year had it not been for Micheil’s superior troubleshooting skills. Oftentimes, the members of our skeleton staff would attempt to trouble shoot errors while simultaneously running other programs and teaching a class - making for a very hectic and crazy work day. The days we were fortunate enough to work with Micheil were always the most productive. The young people in our program owe a lot of their stress-free success to Micheil.