We’re thrilled this spring to be working intensively with teams of teachers and students to develop curricula and create participatory action research projects to improve police and student relations. Building from the powerful EVC documentary Policing the Times, students will investigate problems they encounter with police in their communities and schools and present their findings to their local NYPD precincts and schools. With support from our friends at the DOE Office of Post-Secondary Readiness, the participating teachers and students from Innovation Innovation Diploma Plus and High School for Excellence and Innovation will present their curricula and video projects to Transfer school teachers and principals at the city-wide conference on June 8.
We’re excited to announce that we’ve expanded our New Media Arts programs to five sites this year. With generous support from the Digital Media Learning Fund in the New York Community Trust, we are partnering with NYC Parks and Recreation and the New York City Writing Project. Each semester 60 students will learn to use Photoshop and to build interactive websites that remix EVC social justice youth documentaries. After presenting digital portfolios, students will earn both high school and college credit from Hostos or Bronx Community College. ExpandED Schools will also continue to support the program by funding paid summer internships in which students mentor other students at our partner sites.
This spring, we are happy to offer two series of after-school documentary workshops for court involved youth, made possible with support from Harlem NeON Arts and in collaboration with CASES. These workshops are taught by two EVC graduates, Ines Morales and Raelene Holmes-Andrews. The first film explores the motivations for joining a gang and the second investigates the critical problem of educational inequity. We hope you’ll join us for the premiere screening of these films at the National Black Theater at 2031 5th Avenue in Harlem, March 29th, 5:30PM. The program will include a Q&A with the youth producers, followed by refreshments during a reception.
And last but not least, EVC’s Spring Youth Doc Workshops started production on two documentaries, one examining the social factors that encourage young people to join gangs, and the second on the mental health impact of parental separation. We hope to see you at the premiere Benefit Screening at the Film Society of Lincoln Center on June 8!