video

Media Literacy Curriculum Development

VISTA Name: 
Erica Freshour
Program Start: 
2/2001
Program End: 
2/2003
Project Description: 

Erica continues to be instrumental in the daily work of GRIID (Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy).

List of Projects/work description

Teen Mother’s Media Project
a.assisting in video camera and video editing instruction of teen mothers
b.developing weekly video exercises
c.assisting in script writing

Young Women for Change - Sexually Toxic Media Project
a.Assisting in video camera and video editing instruction of teenage women
b.Developing media literacy exercises for the participants
c.Gathering examples for the media literacy exercises from TV, ads and films
d.Facilitating discussion with participants

Anti-Tobacco Youth Project
a.Assisting in video camera and video editing instruction of teenage women
b.Developing media literacy exercises for the participants

News Monitoring Project
a.2 days a week of watch & logging data from three and one-half hours of local TV news
b.Assisting in writing reports

Six Month Movie Content Analysis Study
a.Watching 50 movies, logging data and editing clips
b.Assisting in editing films clips by themes

Project Outcome: 

Erica continues to be instrumental in the daily work of GRIID. She takes on 50% of the news monitoring work, community networking, media literacy workshops and grant-funded projects. Erica has also been instrumental in assisting with the creation of GRIID instructionals and video editing work that is essential to much of the GRIID work.

Program Building

VISTA Name: 
Daniell Krawczyk
Program Start: 
8/2001
Program End: 
8/2002
Project Description: 

Daniell’s entire term was devoted to the creation, expansion, and future sustainment of the MOLLIE Project. MOLLIE (which stands for Mobile Learning Lab for Information Education) was developed through a grant from the Federal Department of Education and exists to bridge the digital divide, primarily by teaching video production in schools, drop-in centers, and neighborhood centers.

He was given the primary responsibility of getting the program off the ground, including designing the logo, acquiring the equipment, creating the protocols, giving presentations, and implementing the program in the field. These were his foremost foci for the first six months of his term. The second half of his term centered on keeping the project afloat.

Project Outcome: 

The number of schools and non profit organizations that MOLLIE was serving rose significantly throughout the early Spring, necessitating an exponential staff expansion. Though this increased the number of hours Daniell spent directly teaching video production at schools and community organizations, it also allowed him to focus his time back at the office on the following issues:
- the temporary and permanent storage of digital video,
- the development of a long-distance, high-speed, fixed-point, wireless network, and most importantly,
- the future sustainability of the program.

At the completion of his term, Daniell was hired full-term by the Media Center as the MOLLIE Technology Coordinator.

As part of the sustainability plan for the project, Daniell has recruited an Americorps VISTA volunteer (Amy McKenzie) that has filled the position he left vacant when he became full-time staff at the end of his term. He is currently serving as Amy’s direct supervisor.

Marketing and Outreach Coordinator

VISTA Name: 
Jason Crow
Program Start: 
6/2001
Program End: 
6/2003
Project Description: 

One of the many capacity building functions Jason has provided has been with media support for a brand new federally funded grant project MOLLIE. Working with the CMC video artist in residence, Jason produced a promotional video that will help insure the future of this fledgling project that is only funded for a year. In addition, he extended GRTV outreach efforts by providing much needed video help to local non-profits who otherwise could not afford it.

Project Outcome: 

Jason became a key participant in making our Spring Alliance for Community Media conference a success. With his local connections with artists, Jason put on an art installation that included a live broadcast on Channel 24 Livewire, interactive wireless video transmission, and addressed contemporary issues with technology and community development/education.

His most recent contribution to the future of this organization, relates to his new job description. As Public information officer, Jason is using his graphic design skills to create a new”image and look” for the CMC. Now we have someone doing regular press releases, sending out event information to local calendars, and supporting the CMC outreach efforts. The CMC looks forward to Jason’s second year of service.

Venice Arts: In Neighborhoods

Location:
Venice, CA

Venice Arts’ mission is to ignite youths’ imagination, mentor their creativity, and expand their sense of possibility through high quality, accessible media–based arts education programs. Venice Arts also serves as a catalyst for people of all ages, living in low–income or underrepresented communities, to create and share personal and community stories through photography, film, and multi–media.

The Media Aid Center

Location:
Los Angeles, CA

Mission: To build bridges of communications through new media training & education, & develope programs aimed at empowering & enlightening

The Media Aid Center is a non-profit that operates a media production training program in South Los Angeles. The M.A.C. delivers an in depth & hands-on experience in new media production for the underserved adults & youth in the community. Be it editing, learning to properly use cameras or lighting techniques, we provide our students with training capable of getting themselves work in the entertainment industry. This innovative program leverages our students need for work experience to create ethnically & culturally sensitive issue oriented programs. The center combines education with the creation of services & infrastructure necessary for the community to support it’s cultural needs & civic participation.

The M.A.C. is currently involved in teaching media curriculum full time at Jordan & Freemont H.S. & are in talks with other prospective High Schools surrounding LA,CA.

Street Level Youth Media

Location:
Chicago, IL

Street-Level Youth Media educates Chicago’s urban youth in media arts and emerging technologies for use in self-expression, communication, and social change. Street-Level’s programs build critical thinking skills for young people who have been historically neglected by public policy makers and mass media. Using video and audio production, computer art and the Internet, Street-Level’s youth address community issues, access advanced communication technology and gain inclusion in our information-based society.

Reel Works Teen Filmmaking

Location:
Brooklyn, NY

Reel Works Teen Filmmaking is centered of the conviction that every young person has a story to tell and an important contribution to make our world. We believe that filmmaking holds within it essential disciplines of literacy, communication, creative and critical thinking, storytelling and teamwork that young people need to effectively express their unique visions. In the process they gain self-esteem, master state-of-the-art technology and are transformed from passive consumers to active creators of media. We say to teens: You have a voice. Use it!

Founded in 2001 at the Prospect Park YMCA, Reel Works is a full-time nonprofit arts organization that serves over 150 teens each year through five core programs: The Lab, The Master Class, Reel Impact, Reel Works Productions and the Summer Lab.

Project: Think Different / Amplifyme

Location:
Boston, MA

Amplifyme is a nonprofit organization that engages people in positive change through the use of media arts. We use pop culture to inspire people to think differently about their power to create change in their lives and the lives of others through civic engagement.

Amplifyme programs provide opportunities for engagement in positive change through the media arts. Our programs focus in four key areas—Media, Music, Video and the Electronic Community. More and more, these methods of communication influence people, both young and old. Unfortunately, not all of these messages are positive. amplifyme’s programs empower participants to create positive messages to reach a broad audience to foster civic engagement.

These programs begin with youth involvement, but are also appropriate for individuals further along in their professional development and who want to participate as a vehicle for change in the media.

- youth media institute Empowers young people with the tools and resources to become future leaders in the media industry.

- empowerment music program Works with musicians to produce socially empowering commercially viable music messages.

- movement pictures video program Works with video artists to create and amplify socially responsible video messages in film and television.

- electronic community media program Serves as an online hub for all of amplifyme’s signature programs, as well as an interactive site for socially responsible music, video, and online community building.

Termite TV

Location:
Philadelphia, PA

Founded in 1992, Termite TV is a Philadelphia-based video collective whose mission is to facilitate the creation and distribution of alternative and activist media for Television and the internet. We work collaboratively with artists and communities to create multi-faceted and multi-voiced media which address social and cultural issues and aim to give voice to marginalized groups, to bring art into communities and to engage them in dialogue.

We support through grants and services, media makers who work to effect social change. We assist in sustaining their work.

Some of project goals are:

To increase access to new communication and information technologies.

To enable media makers access to tools to create work

To breakdown the digital divide, the gap between people with effective access to digital and information technology and those with very limited or no access at all.

To emphasize political change and increase political and social awareness and to raise awareness of the need for media literacy and a more public, democratic access to media.

Philadelphia Independent Film and Video Association

Location:
Philadelphia, PA

The lead organization: PIFVA, founded by filmmakers in 1979, mission is to strengthen, promote and serve Philadelphia’s independent media community through programs which provide opportunities to learn, mentor, produce and screen work, advocate for the community and network. PIFVA is dedicated to increasing the creative capacity of Philadelphia media artists, promoting public appreciation of independent media making, and encouraging the talent and ability of the region’s creative community of filmmakers.

We support through grants and services, media makers who work to effect social change. We assist in sustaining their work.

Some of project goals are:

To increase access to new communication and information technologies.

To enable media makers access to tools to create work

To breakdown the digital divide, the gap between people with effective access to digital and information technology and those with very limited or no access at all.

To emphasize political change and increase political and social awareness and to raise awareness of the need for media literacy and a more public, democratic access to media.

Transmission Project