YouthTech:
An Institute on Technology & Media
Technology, media and social change... for young people.
YouthTech teaches media literacy and helps young people become active producers of their own media.
We work with youth involved with progressive organizations throughout Boston, provide them with technical training, media literacy and a focus on independent media, and teach them to make media that strengthens their organizations.
YouthTech enrolls teens from local groups working on social change issues like non-violence, history, empowerment, poverty, racism and more. (Check out the recent article at www.TechnicityTimes.com for more on how the YouthTech program came about.)
Summer 2003
Thirteen
young people from Teens Against Gang Violence in Dorchester participated in
YouthTech. They learned skills to critique web media, and got multimedia and
web design skills to completely redesign their organization's website. They
presented their final work at an August graduation ceremony, and will be keeping
their site updated throughout the year. Visit www.tagv.org
for the finished product!
May 2003
We
held a "mini" YouthTech with the Cape Verdean Community Task Force
in Roxbury. Each student learned about digital graphics, created computer advertisements
and made presentations where they spoke about their ad which looked at critical
issues in their community. Click on the student's names below for samples of
their finished projects:
Summer
2002
Ten teens from Teens Against Gang Violence in Dorchester and
Teen Empowerment in the South End and Roxbury participated in our 5-week summer
program. They created web-based media including mock advertisements, webpages,
and a webzine that allowed them to speak about issues facing them and their
communities -- racism, street violence, domestic violence, war, non-violence,
and much more. They strengthened their leadership skills, demonstrated their
works-in-progress at in-class critique sessions, and showcased their finished
work at the public graduation ceremony.
In addition to technical skills, the teens explored independent media and heard from two independent youth-led media sources in Bostonto build their media acumen and strengthen their organizations' outreach:
Summer 2001
We ran a 6-week intensive Media Education and Empowerment Program, whre we provided ten youth with an in-depth critical analysis of various forms of media, focusing on advertising and its effects on young people. It started these young people on the road to becoming active producers, versus passive consumers, of media. YouthTech was developed from the Media Education and Empowerment Program.
How To Participate
TEENS
- If you're 14-19 years old and are involved in a community or youth
group, let us know! You can enroll in YouthTech and learn cool multimedia skills.
PEER LEADERS - If you're 17-22 years old and know about web design and multimedia, or if you knwo about independent media, apply to become a paid YouthTech peer leader!
COMMUNITY NONPROFITS - If your organization wants to increase the technical skills and media literacy of your teens for the benefit of your group, contact us for more information on enrolling your teens in the YouthTech program.
TEACHERS & INTERNS - If you have web multimedia skills and/or media literacy experience and are interested in teaching and expanding the program, give us a call.
VOLUNTEERS - If you have media literacy expertise, multimedia/web design skills, experience with writing/research for independent media, or simply like working with young people, please share your knowledge!
CALL US at 617.442.4456 or email tecschange@tecschange.org if you want to participate!
Financial Support
YouthTech
is supported entirely by individual contributions and small foundation grants.
We appreciate and need financial support which helps us develop YouthTech as
a summer program as well as an afterschool and Saturday program for teens in
the city. Contributions can be made online at the top of our Home
Page or checks can be sent to: TecsChange and mailed to us at 83
Highland Street, Roxbury MA 02119. All donations are
tax-deductible.
YouthTech has received funding from the Haymarket People's Fund, the Safe Neighborhood Youth Fund, the Roxbury Highland Charitable Foundation, and from individual supporters. Thank you!
