Author: Ingrid Hu Dahl

Free Minds, Free People Conference

Free Minds, Free People will bring together teachers, youth, parents, researchers and community-based educators from across the country to begin building a movement to develop and promote Education for Liberation. Education for Liberation is an umbrella term we use to describe the work of people who are trying to link education, social justice and activism.
This conference features dozens of workshops by and for educators and youth from across the country on topics including social justice schools, action research, arts and liberatory education, Freedom Schools, youth organizing, teaching critical consciousness and much more. It will take place in Chicago from June 21 to 24, 2007 at Little Village/Lawndale High School.
Objectives of the conference:
1. Build connections between people from different backgrounds with an interest in this issue.
2. Talk about what works and why, helping participants develop practical skills and techniques that they can use in their educational settings.
3. Determine what steps need to be taken to further develop this movement.
Who should attend: youth, teachers, community-based activists, college students, researchers and parents.
Can’t make the conference, but want to stay in touch? Join the Education for Liberation Network listserv (https://lists.duke.edu/sympa/subscribe/edliberation), a coalition of educators and youth believe a good education should teach people who to understand and challenge the problems their communities face.
Questions? Email freeminds@brotherhood-sistersol.org.

2nd Annual Spoken Word & Hip-Hop Teacher & Community Leader Training Institute

June 18th – 22nd University of Wisconsin at Madison
This summer, Urban Word NYC and the Hip-Hop Association team up with the University of Wisconsin’s Office of Multicultural Initiatives (OMAI) to offer a weeklong program for teachers, educators, community leaders and education students to learn the best practices in hip-hop and spoken word pedagogy.
Each day, institute participants will learn proven, hands-on techniques that will help them to develop lesson plans and strengthen their course study, as well as create a platform from which they will understand the scope of hip-hop history, culture and politics. The night programming consists of an all-star cast of lecturers and performers who will synthesize the day trainings with effective strategies and cutting-edge multicultural educational approaches.
Day Programming | Let’s Build: Morning and afternoon sessions are aimed at giving course participants the tools to engage the 21st century classroom. Each day follows a theme that will further strengthen participants’ knowledge and understanding of spoken word and hip-hop culture, politics and pedagogy. Monday: Hip-Hop History: Building from the Past, Tuesday: Hip-Hop and the Community: Working Together, Wednesday: Bigger Than Hip-Hop: A critical look at the role of Women in Hip-Hop, Thursday: Hip-Hop and Spoken Word as Art and Pedagogy, Friday: Hip-Hop and Social Justice: Creating the Right Environment for Change.
Night Programming | Pedagogy of the Next: The Role of Spoken Word and Hip-Hop in Educating the Next Generation: This lecture and performance series will bring the learning back from the day sessions, in order to illuminate the theory and the praxis that educators will take back to their classrooms. Monday: Hip-Hop vs. Tha New World Order: From Beats to Ballots, Tuesday: Gangstas, Wankstas and Ridas: Effective Teachers in Urban Schools, Wednesday: Hip-Hop and the Sisterhood: A night of hip-hop theater with Christa Bell’s CoochieMagik, Thursday: Hip-Hop as Critical Pedagogy, Friday: First Wave Jump Off.
Closing Night | First Wave Jump Off: From Old School to New School: An Intergenerational Dialogue with the Pioneer of Hip-Hop DJ Kool Herc, First Wave Jump Off featuring the Legendary Pioneer of Hip-Hop DJ Kool Herc, Baruch “Baba” Israel, K Swift, Queen GodIs and performances by First Wave students.
For Teacher’s Institute application and registration information, contact Karin Silet at silet@education.wisc.edu or 608-265-9568. Space is limited.

Nation Student Writing Contest

The Nation is looking for original, thoughtful, provocative student voices to convey what the most important issues for young people are in the 2008 presidential campaign. Essays should not exceed 800 words and should be original, unpublished work that demonstrates clear thinking and superior quality of expression and craftsmanship.
The Nation will select five finalists (including at least one high-schooler) and one winner, who will be awarded a $1,000 cash prize and a Nation subscription. The winning essay will be published in the magazine and featured on the website. The winner will also be published by partners Campus Progress and Wire Tap.The five finalists will be awarded $200 each and Nation subscriptions, and their entries will be published at TheNation.com.
The contest is open to students at US high schools and to undergraduates at US colleges and universities. Entries (only one per student) will be accepted through May 31. A winner will be announced by September 4. Please send entries to studentprize@thenation.com.
For last year’s inaugural contest, the Nation received more than 700 submissions from high school and college students in forty-one states. The entries arrived from big public institutions and tiny liberal arts colleges, from rural high schools and penitentiary writing programs, from Indian reservations and large urban centers. Read Sarah Stillman’s winning essay, Project Corpus Callosum, as well as the five finalists–by Brie Cubelic, Zaid Jilani, Nikolas Bowie, Lianne Yim and Camila Domonske.
Check out the StudentNation page to see info on all of The Nation’s student projects, programs and initiatives.

INVITE: 7th annual Media That Matters Film Festival Worksho

As a part of the 7th annual Media That Matters Film Festival, youth media professional are invited to an exciting opportunity to bring education, film and activism together and discuss how to effectively use media for social change. Be a significant participant in the workshop by gaining and providing insight and methods on how media can be used to introduce debates and discussions on important issues, but also as a starting point from which to take action.
The format will be round-table discussions where each group will get to explore themes set by Arts Engine. You will be asked to contribute your experiences and practical methods in using media for social change in your field and within your organization. You are encouraged to bring materials to support the discussions. Audio, visual or other materials are welcomed. If you are able to participate, please RSVP and you will receive an email in the coming weeks in regards to details and information/link on this year’s Media That Matters films.
Together with MTM7 filmmakers, non profit organizations and other educators, help create a comfortable and progressive space to brainstorm the future of socially-active-media.
Friday, June 1st 2007, 2pm-5pm
International Center for Tolerance Education
25 Washington Street, 4th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Snacks and refreshments provided.
You do not have to be a an educator working in traditional settings to participate. Educators working with middle, high school or college students in any settings welcome!
RSVP for the workshop by Friday, May 18, 2007 with Leah Sapin at 646.230.6368 or Leah@artsengine.net. When RSVPing please provide full name, number and school/affiliation.
Arts Engine, Inc.
104 West 14th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10011
T 646 230 6368 x234 | F: 646 230 6388
diana@artsengine.net | www.artsengine.net
Arts Engine, Inc. supports, produces, and distributes independent media of consequence and promotes the use of independent media by advocates, educators and the general public.

An International Conference on Media

MEDIA: Overseas Conversations (IV) An International Conference on Media
Literacy-Ecology-Studies-Education
May 31 to June 2, 2007 / New York City
http://www.mocnyb.org
This international conference provides an open forum for exploring media and youth culture. The conversations will accent the positive approach of providing young people with the tools they
need to take ownership of the media û as creators and as consumers. Media as a determining factor in the well-being of youth worldwide will be a strong focus of the discussions. Several panels will address Media Literacy and Media Ecology as contributors to the development of critical thinking skills.
Selections of new youth-produced media will be presented by: Listen Up!, Reel Teens Festival, Machinima and OETIÆs UNICEF Awards.
Panelists from Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Japan, Mozambique, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Venezuela, and the USA will lead the conversations. Attendees will include media industry professionals, educators, students and the general public. Open conversations and discussion forums will explore: the extent to which internalized media images determine the perception of reality across cultures; the potential of media as socio-economic equalizer in
education; comparing media literacy education resources in diverse cultures; new technologies and social networking; contemporary uses of comics and graphic novels; cross-cultural perceptions of the role of media in formal education; and, an international perspective on the role of government policies and youth media.
Locations:
Thursday, May 31st
The Museum of Television & Radio, (25 West 52nd Street)
Friday, June 1st and Saturday, June 2nd
Fordham University/Lincoln Center Campus (113 West 60th Street)
All panels and screenings are free of charge and open to all audiences.
For complete schedule visit: http://www.mocnyb.org
Please RSVP: rsvp@mocnyb.org
Organized by: The European Observatory of ChildrenÆs Television and Duende Pictures
In collaboration with: The Museum of Television & Radio and Fordham UniversityÆs Department of Communication and Media Studies.
With the support of: Listen Up!, The Center for Media Studies at Rutgers University, Reel Teens Festival, Media Ecology Association and The Chelsea Art Museum.
This conference is made possible with the support of:
Aldeas Infantiles SOS, Spain; Fundacio Jaume Bofill, Barcelona, Catalonia; ICIC/Generalitat of Catalonia; IORTV/RadioTelevision of Spain; TV3/Televisio de Catalunya and Catalunya Radio.
Outreach/Press Coordinator: Pat Tobin info@mocnyb.org
Project Directors: Jordi Torrent and Valenti Gomez Oliver
jordi@duendepictures.com / valenti@oeti.org
MEDIA: Overseas Conversations (IV)
May 31 – June 2 / New York City
http://www.mocnyb.org
All programs free of charge/ Please RSVP: rsvp@mocnyb.org
Thursday, May 31 – Museum of Television & Radio
(25 West 52nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenue)
10-11 AM Screening: UNICEF Awards
Curator: OETI
4-5 PM Screening: Youth produced media
Curator: Listen Up!
6-7:30 PM Panel: International Perspectives on Governmental Policies and Youth Media
Victoria Camps, Audiovisual Commission of Catalonia, Spain
Jean-Franτois Furnmont, Audio-Visual High Commission, Belgium
Julieta Langa, High Council for Social Communication, Mozambique
Gloria Tristani, former FCC Commissioner, USA
Moderated by: Matteo Zacchetti, Media Program, European Commission, EU
Friday, June 1 – Fordham University / Lincoln Center Campus
(113 West 60th Street @ Columbus Avenue)
12-1:30 PM Panel: New Technologies and Early Childhood Language Development
Robert Albrecht, New Jersey City University, USA
Renee Cherow-OÆLeary, Teachers College/Columbia University, USA
Martin Levinson, New York Society for General Semantics, USA
Katherine Liepe-Levinson, Muse Educational Resources, USA
Moderated by: Margaret Cassidy, Adelphi University, USA
4-5:30 PM Panel: Comics and Graphic Novels in Contemporary Youth Culture
Michael Bitz, Comic Book Project, Teachers College/Columbia University, USA
Gerard Jones, author, USA
Benoit Mouchart, Angouleme International Comics Festival, France
Masami Toku, California State University, Chico / Shojo Manga Project, USA/Japan
Moderated by: Lance Strate, Fordham University, USA
6-7:30 PM Panel: New Media and Social Networking
Robert W. Kubey, Center for Media Studies, Rutgers University, USA
Robert Logan, University of Toronto, Canada
Vitor Reia-Baptista, Algarve University, Portugal
Bu Wei, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China
Moderated by: Mark Glaser, Mediashift/PBS, USA
Saturday June 2 – Fordham University / Lincoln Center Campus
(113 West 60th Street @ Columbus Avenue)
10-11 AM Screening: Youth produced media
Curator: Reel Teens Festival
12-1 PM Screening: Youth produced media: the Machinima Phenomenon
Curator: Carl Goodman, Museum of Moving Image
3-4:30 PM Panel: Media Literacy as a Core Educational Element Across Pedagogical Systems
Feny de los Angeles Bautista, Community Of Learners Foundation, Philippines
Patricia Edgar, World Summit on Media for Children Foundation, Australia
Victor Fuenmayor, Zulia University, Maracaibo, Venezuela
Renee Hobbs , Temple University, USA
Moderated by: Thom Gencarelli, Montclair State University, USA
5-6:00 PM Closing Remarks: Douglas Rushkoff, New York University, USA
For program information, please contact Jordi Torrent jordi@duendepictures.com
Press contact: Pat Tobin info@mocnyb.org

Youth Interviewers Needed

Youth Researchers for a New Education System need youth interviewers ages 16-21 who will receive community service credit for their efforts.
Youth interviewers will help a team of youth researchers conduct a survey to figure out what’s needed in order to make a new system of public education based on social justice, anti racism, dignity and human rights for all students, their families and communities.
Wednesday May 16 & 23 from 6-8 PM at Fordham University, 60th & Columbus Ave, Manhattan
RSVP for room number and more information, contact the Youth Researchers for a New Education System at yrnes07@gmail.com.

The Resource Center’s Effective Practices Collection

Poetry is a powerful instrument in teaching literacy and in contributing to self-awareness and growth. Diverse programs use poetry; third graders to community college service-learners have all benefited from the power of poetry in their programs. The results are often dramatic; after spending even as little as half an hour writing poetry, one visiting poetry teacher found that the same students who had flatly refused to read before were asking for books and petitioning him to stay longer to experiment more with language.
Here are some effective practices related to poetry and the arts from the Effective Practices Collection.
Using poetry workshops to encourage literacy
http://snipurl.com/EPC_446
An AmeriCorps member in Tukwila, Washington, used poetry workshops to encourage language and literacy development among elementary students. He then used the poems to market the program and recruit additional volunteers.
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Holding a poetry contest to educate youth about watershed ecology
http://snipurl.com/EPC_768
Each year, in affiliation with the Library of Congress Center for the Book, River of Words conducts a free international poetry and art contest for youth on the theme of watersheds. Children in kindergarten through twelfth grade are invited to explore their own local watershed, and its importance in their lives, by writing a poem or producing a work of art on this theme.
Using performance to give voice to children of prisoners
http://snipurl.com/EPC_1042
For adolescents who are dealing with difficult life issues, having a safe way to express their thoughts and feelings can make a tangible difference. At San Francisco’s Balboa High School, students told their stories in the form of a play, and this literally meant the difference between dropping out and staying in school.
Involving college students and community members in a social awareness event
http://snipurl.com/EPC_4805
“Tunnel of Oppression,” an interactive walk-through event that combines visual art, multi-media, poetry and prose, was hosted by the AmeriCorps*VISTA program at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) to raise participant awareness and increase social consciousness in students and community members.
Incorporating creative reflection activities
http://snipurl.com/EPC_1042
Invite student participation in the planning of reflection activities by offering forms of expression other than the traditional written essay, such as photo collage, poetry, or peer interviews.
http://nationalservice.gov/resources/
The Resource Center’s Effective Practices Collection
Corporation for National and Community Service

this month’s youth media professional

As an editor and director of WireTap Magazine, Kristina Rizga thinks she has the best job in the country. Every day, she gets to work with passionate, brilliant young journalists and activists from around the county. As a child of the late, former Soviet Union who grew up surrounded by daily government propaganda and corrupt officials, Kristina saw first hand how small journals, films, and music created by young people inspired and grew movements for social change. Since then, she has been committed to independent media that allows a broad range of voices and communities to speak for themselves.
Prior to WireTap, Kristina worked at Media Alliance— a coalition of progressive writers and activists working for media reform and justice. She organized monthly events ranging from FCC hearings to music concerts to journalism classes and edited a quarterly media justice journal. At nights, she freelanced for a variety of alternative weeklies and magazines. She moved to the U.S. from Latvia in 1994, and holds a B.A. in History from U.C. Berkeley.
What most people don’t know about Kristina is that prior to her move to the United States, she didn’t know how to use a computer and never heard of hip hop. She never imagined that a few years later she would edit a web publication and her lifetime partner would be a former graffiti writer and a hip hop head.

letter from the editor (volume 1:issue 5)

Letter from the Editor
Welcome to May 2007 (Volume 1: Issue 5) of Youth Media Reporter (YMR).
This month showcases ways youth media professionals can use blogs, virtual communities, and Second Life, as well as revenue-based models from the field.
The articles in this issue covers:
• A funder’s perspective on revenue-based models to and from the field;
• Global Kid’s (a youth media organization) tips using Second Life;
• How professionals in the field can utilize blogs from the founder of What’s Good For Girls;
• An interview with a founding member of BLOC, Future 5000, and MyBloc.net
If you would like to be published in YMR or request a site visit, please contact me at idahl@aed.org. If you would like to provide feedback about any of the current articles, simply use the comment feature box available on our website.
Warmly,
Ingrid Hu Dahl
Editor, YMR
Report from the field and make a difference!