Goal One: Launch The Youth Development Media Center

The Journalism Academy

Youth Radio is a leader in training young people in audio, video, web, newsprint and converged media to produce broadcast reports and commentaries for local, national and global audiences. The Journalism Academy will provide a unique and broad platform to expand our youth media training and workforce development programs, including:

• The CORE Program – a ten-week introductory course in storytelling, journalism, media literacy, technology and converged media production. Students participate in workshops on topics ranging from violence prevention to mediation to dating.
• The BRIDGE Program – a ten-week intermediate course in radio, video, music and web production and writing for broadcast and converged mediums.
• The CAP Community Action Program - a six-month training session in storytelling, journalism, media literacy, technology and converged media production. This program is specifically for Oakland youth who are at risk of dropping out of high school or on probation.
• Youth Radio at Camp Sweeney Program - a 10 week media literacy and production session held quarterly at the juvenile detention center for non-violent offenders ages 14-18.
• The Emerging Media Professional Program – a six month advanced course in public speaking, group facilitation, community networking, journalism and media production and distribution.
• The Peer Teaching Program – a ten-week initiative for successful program graduates to peer teach the CORE and BRIDGE programs.
• The Externship Program – job shadowing and mentorship opportunities lasting between 2 and 5 days at a media, communications, technology or social justice organization.

Youth Radio currently works with 1,300 young people each year. The Youth Media International Network will enable the organization to expand the Academy and serve 2,500 students annually, twice our current capacity.

Pathways to Higher Education and Careers

Youth Radio utilizes media training to strengthen young peoples’ academic, social and workplace skills. The Pathways to Higher Education and Careers initiative will formalize our work to deliver a unique combination of hands-on media training, college preparation and career counseling.

The Pathways to Higher Education and Careers program will:

• Partner with Peralta Community Colleges and U.C. Berkeley to offer one-on-one college bound services, career counseling and college credit for trainings completed at the Youth Media International Network.
• Work with all Youth Radio participants ages 14-24 to develop Individual Action Plans to clarify their educational and career goals.
• Train high school students in personal commentary, broadcast journalism, music production, audio engineering, video production, web design and peer teaching while simultaneously providing an opportunity to obtain academic credit from local community colleges.
• Place students that successfully complete the training program into entry-level media-related internships at the YMI Network and local professional radio, television, newspaper, film and Internet companies.

In 2007-08 Pathways to Higher Education and Careers will serve 300 students, ages 14-24. The target population will include high school students from Oakland and the Greater-East Bay with an emphasis on low-income youth and youth of color.

The Mind-Body-Health Institute

Youth Radio has a strong track record for producing compelling, high-quality health-related reports and commentaries on violence prevention, obesity and nutrition, HIV prevention and mental health.

The Mind-Body Institute will:

• Produce and disseminate web casts, podcasts and broadcasts about health related issues impacting youth for audiences of up to 27 million per year.
• Deliver health prevention workshops and programs to YMI students, alumni and the local community on nutrition, conflict-resolution and martial arts.
• Provide individual and group mental health counseling, case management and referral services.