Former DC Youth Media Mentor Reports from Bagdhad!!

Brian “Sharpie” Conley is a 25 year old filmmaker who, through his work with the alternative news organization Indymedia, and his own solo work, has contributed to or produced seven films, traveled the country, done international work in Quebec City and Guatemala, and has been shooting video for seven years. Be sure to visit www.aliveinbaghdad.org frequently.

DC Youth Media Resource List

Organization/Program:
Youth Action Research Group (YARG)

Description:
YARG is a member-led organization of young people who are working tobuild the power of young people to speak out and take action on theissues that directly impact their lives.

Recent accomplishments:
YARG youth organizers and members have developed and produced fourmonthly youth run radio shows airing every last Wednesday of the monthfrom 6 to 7pm in collaboration with Radio CPR, 97.5 discussing issuesaround graffiti, GLBTQ teens, youth violence, affordable housing, DCPS,youth employment, sex education, and whatever else we think of!

Participants:
Youth Staff: 4
Core Leaders: 15
Members: 50

Contact:
Danielle Kurzweil
202-462-5767
daniellevk@riseup.net
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Organization/Program:
Facilitating Leadership in Youth (FLY)

Description
FLY youth council leads campaigns around issues that are important with youth living east of river. Issues they have worked on are "youth and gun violence" and "police of youth and harassment".

Recent accomplishments
Produced two Zines
A. Is it Because? SE youth and the Police, Fall, 2005
B. GUN Killin' Youngin', 2004

Participants
FLY Youth Counicl Program
Ages 13-17 years old.
Active youth: 12

Contact
James Pearlstein
202-441-3290
james@flyouth.org
www.flyouth.org
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Organization/Program
Youth Education Alliance (YEA)

Description of program
YEA produces media aimed at educating students on education and organizing in the district.

Recent accomplishments
2004-05 - YEA produces a quarterly zine written and organized by their youth members. They have put out five issues over the past year and a half.

2003-04 – Produced a video,“Stand up” which talks about the history of student organizing in DCPS and highlighted current conditions of schools in the District.

2001 - Produced a spoken word and hip hop CD

Participants
About 75 youth members
Active youth: 12
Ages: 14-20 years old.

Contact
Jonathan Stith
202-498-7075
jonathan@gmail
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Organization/Program
Young Women’s Drumming Empowerment Project
(YWDEP)

Description
YWDEP seeks to empower a core group of young women living in the District by guiding them in a process of learning how to play African hand drums/percussion, along with expressing their opinions and telling their stories through spoken word and song.

Recent accomplishments
A. Review of the first YWDEP performance can be found at http://solarizethis.blogspot.com/2005/09/she-poets-of-rizing-moon-in-djembes.html

B. YWDEP youth participants were interviewed by DC Radio Coop on Street Harrassement and its affects on young women.

C. Young DC newspaper will be highlighting YWDEP in their upcoming issue.

Participants
Active youth: 7
Ages: 14-20 years old.

Contact
Kristen Arant
Kristen@youngwomendrum.org
202-213-7810
www.youngwomendrum.org
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Organization/program
DivideDCity Magazine

Description
DivideDCity is a FREE publication by DC residents about DC and for DC. Sponsored by Sol & Soul, a non-profit dedicated to the advancement of local artists, divideDCity is a work in progress.

Recent accomplishments:
DivideDCity has published three magazines.
Vol. 1, Issue 1: Create, Speak, Observe
Vol. 1, Issue 2: The Big Picture
Vol. 1, Issue 3: Places in DC

Contact
Robin Bingham
202-545-1085
Divided_city@yahoo.com
www.solysoul.com/dividedcity/
********************************************************************* Organization/program
Latin American Youth Center Art & Media House

Description
In the media program, youth explore the power of communication. Program participants develop and strengthen their unique voices through hands on training in photography, radio, video and creative writing. Youth craft their own stories and gain critical skills.

Recent accomplishments:
A. Youth contributed to a story on immigrants attending college which aired nationally on NPR.

B. End of year exhibit in June, 2005 – The exhibit showcased youth radio, photography, and visual art.

C. Since March, 2005 youth produced radio show, TEEN TALK available on www.layc-dc.org

Participants:
About 120
Active: 20 in Media Program
Ages: 13-19 years old.

Contact:
Marie Moll
202-319-2299
artmediahouse@layc-dc.org
www.layc-dc.org
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Organization/Program:
Washington Spark Newspaper

Description:
The mission of Washington Spark newspaper is to investigate and expose injustice, display original writing, art, and criticism, deliver stories by, about or from under-represented groups, Depict avant gardes, undergrounds and alternative lifestyles, chart the struggles for social and economic justice, feature strategic analysis, dissenting opinions, DIY articles and ways to educate, connect and transform.The paper consists of a group of about 50 volunteers working part-time in teams to put together a city wide paper. It’s about voices. Helping people get their message out.

Recent accomplishments:
They have just release their 5th issue

Up to 25, 000 copies distributed in 475 locations, distribution map can be found at http://www.washingtonspark.org/ click on “Distribution”.

Contact:
Mark Cimino
Advertising Coordinator
advertising@washingtonspark.org
202-436-4153
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Organization/Program:
Empower DC Youth Project
Ward 5 – Trinidad / Ivy City

Description:
Youth people in ward 5, Ivy City neighborhoods working with caring adults to make positive social change in their community through arts, learning and discovery. Empower DC is hosting a community oral history project, outdoor movie screenings and other community arts projects.

Recent accomplishments:
A. Began interviewing people in the neighborhood for oral history project which will be produced as a radio documentary and printed resource book.

B. Sept., 2005 -- First outdoor movie night

Participants:
Active: 6-10 youth
Ages: 5-12 years old.

Contact:
Ingrid Drake
202-577-3437
ingridnatasha@yahoo.com
http://www.empowerdc.org/

Parisa Narouza
202-234-9119
parisa@empowerdc.org
http://www.empowerdc.org/

DC Youth Media Invite and Notes!

DC Youth Media 5th Gathering May 15, 2005
Next Meeting: June 9th, 2006, Thursday, 6pm – 8pm

WHO: Youth who produce media and the adults who love them

WHAT: Items on the agenda include...developing our first newsletter featuring youth media in DC, a resource list for summer youth media programs, directories of youth media programs and mentors, skills-building and much more!


WHERE: LAYC Art & Media House
3035 15th St., NW
(Between Columbia Rd. and Irving St., two blocks from Columbia
Heights metro)

WHEN: Thursday, June 9th, 2005
6pm – 8pm

WHY: FREE FOOD!!!
AND so we can coordinate and strengthen our efforts to empower
youth through media.

Purpose of DC Youth Media:
DC Youth Media is a space where youth involved in media can share skills and support with each other. Youth skilled in media will also train youth interested in media. DCYM builds bridges between organizations and individual mentors involved in media projects with young people. It brings organizations together to share resources, skills, experiences, contacts/connections with media outlets, and gain skills in being our own media to get our voices heard.


MAY 15th GATHERING NOTES:
In attendance: Lopa, Nancy, Cherie, Sheila, Douglas

Representing: DC Independent Media Center, Resistance Media Collective, , Sol & Soul Arts for Social Change, Latin America Youth Center Art & Media House, Youth Leadership Support Network.

Latest Updates:
LAYC Web radio is now up and running! http://www.layc-dc.org/
YLSN members went to NYC to meet with YO!-TV. For details visit: www.ylsn.blogspot.com. YO!-TV will be in town June 19-21st for the Great Labor Arts Exchange.



Meeting Decisions:

-Newsletter will have a resource listing.
Get descriptions of youth media programs in DC
The descriptions can be from youth or adults
Youth written articles answering:
What they are doing with media?
What are they doing with media over the summer?
How does this empower them?
Include photos
-DCYM blogspot to feature mentor’s bios and directory of DC youth media program
-DCYM will produce a brief newsletter for community distribution by June 18th
-The next meeting will focus on developing the newsletter
-DCYM will gather copies of DC school newspapers and info about media-related clubs. Will encourage mentors to go to schools needing support
-The purpose of the newsletter is to produce youth written articles about what they are doing with media. The newsletter will be a one pager so it does not overwhelm the readers. Our target readers are youth and adult mentors that work with media.

For more info:
Sheila Mirza, Youth Organizer, Youth Leadership Support Network
dcfresh@nycmail.com (917) 520-5268
Lopa Shah, Media Coordinator, Latin America Youth Center Art & Media
House
lopa@layc-dc.org (202) 319-2294
Douglas Calvin, Founding Director, Youth Leadership Support Network
douglas@worldyouth.org (202) 489-7892

Public School Funding Rally Press Release!

The DCPS Full Funding Campaign

For Immediate Release For More Information Contact:
Monday, April 11, 2005


Public School Supporters to Stage RFK Rally
At National’s Opening Home Game

Students, Parents, Teachers, School Workers Question City’s Spending Priorities

Washington, D.C.—A coalition of students, parents, teachers, school workers and concerned city residents will stage a protest rally at RFK Stadium, at the National’s home opener, to demand increased funding for the city’s school buildings that are falling apart.

The coalition—The D.C. Public Schools Full Funding Campaign—is calling on city officials to invest the same time, energy and money into repairing city school building that they have put into renovating RFK Stadium and developing a public funding deal for building a new stadium.

“Everyday our students are forced to attend class in school buildings that are falling down around them,” said D.C. Teacher of the Year Crystal Sylvia. “Clean, safe school buildings are just as important as a new baseball stadium. Our elected officials have their priorities out of order.”

Organizers have gotten a D.C. police department permit for the rally, which is expected to draw public school supporters from across the city.

Millions for Stadiums, Peanuts for Schools Rally on Opening Day at RFK Stadium

WHO: DCPS Full Funding Campaign, composed of students, parents, teachers, school workers and concerned city residents.
WHAT: Will rally for additional funding for repairs to city school buildings.
WHEN: 6 pm., Thursday, April 14, 2005—D.C. National’s Opening Home Game.
WHERE: Main Entrance, RFK Stadium, 2400 East Capitol St., SE

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New Blog Published!!

Please visit www.ylsn.blogspot.com to learn about youth organizing in Washington DC with Youth Leadership Support Network, a violence prevention, arts, media and education network.

February 27 DCYM Meeting Notes

Summary of 2nd DC Youth Media Gathering on Feb. 27th

The Second DC Youth Media Gathering on February 27th included about 8 youth and adults from 7 groups. The gathering became a planning session. Discussions centered around upcoming trainings for DCYM collaborative, member groups needs and resources and further outreach plans.

Topics Included:
-- Training opportunities with WorldYouth Media, LAYC’s Art and Media House Independent Media Center, and DC Resistance Media Collective
-- YLSN’s Intergenerational Youth Activism Summit Media Coverage in April
-- Howard University’s ROOTS volunteer opportunities
-- Nancy Shia¹s photography project
-- Utilizing DC Youth Media blog-site ) as a media tool

Training opportunities include:

-- IMC editorial collective wants community youth members to participate in editing IMC website articles. An IMC editorial collective training announcement will be circulated in the next week.

-- DC Resistance Media Collective was formed through community folks getting their voices heard around the inauguration in January. They have done some impressive public relations work and have a good press list.

-- Free trainings provided by WorldYouth Media (schedule coming soon)

-- Media coverage of Intergeneration Youth Activism Summit in April, workshop/training opportunities during the summit,

-- Utilizing the DCYM blog site (www.dcym.blogspot.com ) as a media tool.

-- The National Press Club has asked Nancy Shia to do a photography project with youth as an outreach tool. She is looking for 3-5 youth interested in photography. This project will help promote DCYM by documenting the media work of it’s members.

-- Timothy Jenkins of HU Roots was present. HU Roots is a student led grassroots organization at Howard University. It is open to all individuals that are and willing to take action on issues that will benefit and uplift the black community. HU Roots members are interested and willing to volunteer with organizations and provide community service. Please e mail tjenkins@howard.edu or huroots@yahoo.com

Reggie Cabico performs to packed audience

FACS ensemble Q&A

Filipino American Cultural Society & Quique Aviles

"POETRYSILOG: ulam. For Your Rice" a Sol y Soul Production

Sol & Soul Presented, “POETRYSILOG: ulam. For your rice, a feast of Filipino American poetry and Performance,” at the Josephine Butler Center to a packed and enthusiastic audience. The evening began with the Filipino American Cultural Society (FACS), a collective of students from Salem High School in Virginia Beach, VA. They use performing arts to anchor Filipino American youth in the history and culture of their community. Their work as an ensemble cast was impressive and polished. They blended spoken word, theater, singing and multi-part a cappella harmonies as a powerful medium to confront hard-hitting issues about race, ethnicity and society. YLSN spoke with FACS about collaborations in media and performance after the show. The second half of the performance featured poet, activist and playwright Reggie Cabicco. He lived up to the program description of “fearlessly diving into the chaotic glop of pop culture, sexual politics and the outsider experience, leaving no stone unturned.” The packed audience included several members of his family, adding to the energy that had already been lifted so incredibly with the FACS performance.