At EVC, youth are empowered to make their voices heard about critical issues in their lives. And the impact of EVC stays with them years later, as they carry our values and ideals with them in their schools and communities. Just last Thursday EVC Graduate Raelene Holmes-Andrews co-facilitated an orientation at Harlem NeON Arts for a new EVC video workshop for court-involved youth from the local community. Earlier that morning another EVC graduate, Rafael Gel, presented about his EVC experience at the Connected Credentials Convening held in Carnegie Hall.
We need your support now to keep serving more students like Rafael and Raelene.
A little about Rafael. By the time Rafael found EVC, he had already been in and out of several high schools and worried that he was never going to graduate. At EVC, he became a leader of his video team, not only learning important camerawork and editing skills, but also finding and interviewing the main subject for his film on street harassment, Gender Power. The film premiered at HBO Theater and won awards at three festivals. Rafael went on to graduate high school and earn an Associate’s degree from Borough of Manhattan Community College, where he became President of the Film Club. And next Fall, he will be attending NYU!
A little about Raelene. After dropping out of high school, Raelene enrolled in a GED program where her advisor recommended that she join EVC. Her group’s first documentary was Life Under Suspicion, about the NYPD’s stop and frisk policy. It won the Media for Just Society Award and Raelene flew out to San Francisco to accept the award on behalf of her team! Raelene returned to EVC to produce Breathing Easy about toxic mold in her family’s public housing apartment, which was viewed by over 40,000 people in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Museum’s “Health is a Human Right” exhibition. Raelene went on to enroll in LaGuardia Community College, majoring in communications, and now is now back with EVC as an Assistant Teacher for the Harlem NeON youth documentary workshop project.
We couldn’t be prouder of Raelene and Rafael and the hundreds of other alumni who have gone on to make a real difference in the world. Their films have inspired others to join the fight against sexism, police brutality, environmental injustice and other social justice issues.
But we know there are tough times ahead for us, especially for those most vulnerable in our communities. We need your support now more than ever. Your gift will make it possible for EVC to continue offering life changing programs. Please tell your friends, co-workers, and family members about EVC, and save the date for our Youth Doc Workshop’s premiere screening at HBO. Thank you so much for your love and support!
SAVE THE DATE: JANUARY 12, 2017 Youth Documentary Workshop Premiere Screening, 6pm–9pm HBO, 1100 Avenue of the Americas RSVP: info@evc.org
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