FILMMAKERS IN THE CLASSROOM

Working in Oakland public school classrooms, independent filmmakers, teachers and students are collaborating to produce curriculum-based videos for the Urban Dreams Project. Last year, the videos won several awards (view list). Through filmmakers in the classroom, teachers and students learn:

• Digital camera operation
  
  
• Visual composition and framing
  
  
• Concept, story and script development
  
  
• Storyboarding
  
  
• Aesthetics and techniques of non-linear editing
  
  
• Media Literacy

Materials, photographs and information are posted at the Urban Dreams Project evaluation website prepared by the Center for Evaluation. View Urban Dreams video clips at the Urban Dreams Project web site.

CCC LIVE!

"The Counselor Community Connection" features Marilyn Harryman, a retired Oakland Unified School District counselor, who hosts lively discussions and interviews with students, parents and community members about student achievement and college opportunities.

HOLLA' BACK

Oakland public high school students involved in student government host and provide content for their own live call-in show where they speak out on issues that concern the Oakland community. In our most recent program, the students focused on truancy and presented their views on why it's important to attend school. (Learn more.)

HOMEWORK HOTLINE & ALGEBRA HOTLINE 1993 - 2003

Cablecast throughout Oakland, California, the Homework Hotline was a live interactive show where Oakland students helped grade-school children with their homework on the phone and on the air.

Students learned how to produce the show's segments, operate all studio equipment during live cablecasts and communicate in front of the camera. Produced in an upbeat and engaging style, the Homework Hotline made learning fun and exciting for students.

Like Homework Hotline, Algebra Hotline was a live interactive program that invited guest teachers to help make algebra easy and accessible.

Youth Media is a member of the Listen Up! Youth Media Network. Through its National Youth Media Network and website hosted by PBS, Listen Up! uses the internet, film festivals and National Public Television broadcast to create a forum for youth to express their ideas and views.

In collaboration with The Merrow Report, public television’s premiere series on youth and learning, Youth Media helped Oakland youth produce their own documentary on "What makes a teacher worth paying attention to?” It will be part of the half hour series called, "Youth Speak Out on Education.” This project was made possible with generous support from the MetLife Foundation. More information is available at the PBS Web Site and in this article in the San Francisco Chronicle.

WE MEAN CLEAN (Summer 1995)
City of Oakland -Twenty-minute video about Summer Youth Clean Up Project. Producer

YOUTH EMPOWERED (Summer 1995)
Urban Strategies Council- Trained 10 students and completed a half-hour documentary about Youth Empowerment.

FRUITVALE YOUTH IN ACTION
VIDEO PROJECT (Summer 1993 & 1994)
Oakland Museum & Youth Employment Partnership-Trained 10 students and completed two, 30 minute documentaries. Graffiti 1993. Violence 1994.

FOR U 2 KNOW (1993-1996)
KDOL TV-13/Oakland Public Schools-Monthly Youth Video Magazine. Producer/Trainer

TO TOP

PROJECT SOAR (2001)
Successful Options for Academic Readiness (SOAR) wasa Grant from the U.S. Department of Education that funded California State University Hayward and Oakland Public Schools. Youth Media produced two television Programs with SOAR’s industry partner CNET.com, several Public Service Announcements and television production workshops for 100 SOAR youth called, “Lights! Camera! Algebra!”

GET UP, GET OUT AND…… (1998)
KDOL TV-13/Oakland Public Schools and East Bay Public Safety Corridor Project: Trained 10 students and produced five, half-hour programs about Youth Violence Prevention, Youth Employment, Teen pregnancy, Art and Music.