Linking Middle, High School, & College Students through Humanity Centered Media
About Your Application
Organization(s) name(s):
Media Done Responsibly c/o Pasadena Arts Council
Organization(s) website(s):
Organization(s) twitter handle(s):
Organization(s) facebook handle(s):
www.facebook.com/mediadoneresponsibly
Describe Your Organization(s)
Non-profit organization
For-profit organization
Government
Other (please specify below):
:
a project of Pasadena Arts Council's EMERGE Fiscal Sponsorship Program
In one sentence, please describe what your organization does.
:
Media Done Responsibly is a media leadership program providing healthy media and lifestyle alternatives to teens by training them to be critical thinkers, decision makers, conscious consumers and creators of media in the Digital Age.
In one to three sentences, please describe your proposal.
:
The goal is to follow the progress of our teens throughout high school, into college, and into their careers, providing middle and high school students with college role models, and providing college students with internship opportunities and professional skill development.
Our proposal is to launch a 9-month Common Core aligned media education curriculum with local schools, giving their students an opportunity to work with our university media students to produce PSAs, short films, commercial
Where will you be working? Please be specific (e.g. Third Street Middle School; Boyle Heights; LA County).
Central LA
East LA
San Gabriel Valley
San Fernando Valley
South LA
Westside
South Bay
Antelope Valley
County of Los Angeles (countywide)
City of Los Angeles (citywide)
LAUSD
Other (please specify below):
How do you plan to use these resources to make change? (check all that apply)
Conduct research
Engage residents and stakeholders
Implement a pilot or new project
Expand a pilot or program
Mobilize for systems change
Advocate with policymakers and leaders
Implement and track policy
Other (please specify below):
How will your proposal improve the following “Learn” metrics? (check all that apply)
Percentage of children enrolled in early education programs
Percentage of community college students completing a certificate, degree, or transfer-related program in six years
Youth unemployment and underemployment
District-wide graduation rates
HS student proficiency in English & Language Arts and Math
Academic Performance Index* scores
College matriculation rates
Student education pipeline (an integrated network of pre-schools, K-12 institutions, and higher education systems that prepares students for seamless transitions between high school, higher education institutions, and the workforce) (Dream Metric)
Suspension and expulsion rates (Dream Metric)
Truancy rates in elementary and middle schools (Dream Metric)
Students perceived sense of safety at and on the way to school (Dream Metric)
Describe in greater detail how you will make LA the best place to learn.
:
MDR will make LA the best place to learn by providing teens with role models to help them navigate the media they consume daily, while making healthy decisions for their lives and creating media that better reflects their humanity. Each lesson of our curriculum is Common Core aligned. We also have an online digital portal for facilitators and a social networking site for our participants to engage. Although we do have facilitators lead each lesson/workshop, we place a strong emphasis on youth ideas and dialogue.In each lesson, we have multiple opportunities for youth check-in, and fishbowls and Socratic Seminar are central to the final lesson of each unit.
Our Media Done Responsibly campaign works to introduce youth to media that represents the full humanity of all cultures, and provides the tools to assess and vote on whether specific media content meets humanity-based standards to be labeled media done responsibly. This makes for a community-wide impact that can shape the direction of media content that is produced moving forward. Essentially, we use media literacy as a launching pad for both the development of youth as healthy, aware, and engaged citizens and as a tool to improve the media content and media career opportunities for upcoming generations.
MEDIA LITERACY CURRICULUM
The Media Done Responsibly curriculum follows a three-pillar approach: (1) Media Literacy, (2) Media Production, and (3) Media Justice Advocacy. It includes nine thematic units, each packed with several robust lessons, access to socially responsible media, youth-led events, and other varied media. The program introduces participants to college mentors who facilitate 50 minute, interactive, media awareness workshops for students in the program. The workshops stimulate student dialogue and critical thinking about social issues in media and supports positive citizenship by providing healthy alternatives to destructive behavior.
Please explain how you will evaluate your work.
:
MDR evaluates our work through surveys, professor feedback forms, along with mentor and student interviews.
How can the LA2050 community and other stakeholders help your proposal succeed? (check all that apply)
Money (financial capital)
Volunteers/staff (human capital)
Publicity/awareness (social capital)
Infrastructure (building/space/vehicles, etc.)
Education/training
Technical infrastructure (computers, etc.)
Community outreach
Network/relationship support
Quality improvement research
Other (please specify below):
Discussion
7
Submission Began
Tuesday, September 08, 2015
Submission Ended
Tuesday, October 06, 2015
at 07:00 PM UTC
Voting Began
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Voting Ended
Tuesday, November 03, 2015
at 08:00 PM UTC
Winner Announced
Tuesday, December 08, 2015
During the Summer 2013 I was intrigued by the work that Media Done Responsibly was carrying out in the community so I decided to volunteer as part of my community service project for one of my Liberal Studies courses. Becoming a mentor/volunteer was an amazing opportunity that allowed me to work with youth and engaged in discussions regarding the negative media representations of underrepresented youth in urban Los Angeles. Myself and my MDR team invested a lot of hours working towards bringing social consciousness to our youth and to empower them to become critical media thinkers and consumers. Through the hands-on workshops and trainings put together by members of the organization, MDR made a difference in the lives of youth who without positive media education would continue to be manipulated by the massive media representation that continues to perpetuate violence by the rampant stereotypes subjecting individuals based on race, gender, and class. MDR serves as an exemplary organization in our community that is helping transform the lives of future leaders. Not only is MDR making a difference in the lives of youth but also in the lives of those who become part of it.
When I was Liberal Studies major at California State University, Los Angeles, I began as a mentor through Media Done Responsibly. I totally fell in love with this program because it exposed me to many social issues that young people in schools deal with. Our young people face social injustices such as racism, misogyny, violence (e.g. bullying, violence in dating relationships, etc.) When we teach students to become critical consumers of media, they open wide their hearts because they want to be heard. When they are able to see the issues behind the ads, music videos, music, video games, etc., they begin to think about what they see and hear on a daily basis. Some of the students we've taught have wanted us to come back so we can teach them again. On that note, Media Done Responsibly has made an impact on young people and continues to strive to do more now and in the near future.
Hello everyone! I've been involved with Media Done Responsibly since 3 years ago when I was a freshman at Cal State LA. I've been a volunteer and an intern. At first, I joined MDR because I want extra credit for one of my classes, but once I was in the program I LOVED it and decided to come back and keep volunteering. I was trained about issues in the media such as discrimination, racism, sexism, colorism, etc., etc. But it was when I went out to high schools to give a presentation to students when I realized how powerful and influential I can be. Even though I wasn't comfortable talking in front of a classroom, I got confidence when I saw the reaction of the students when they realized they weren't critical thinkers of what they were watching on tv or listening to. They were all shocked that they were listening to music with degrading lyrics toward women and they hadn't even realized it because most of them were just listening to this music without paying attenttion to the lyrics. I explained to them how even though they didn't pay attention to the lyrics they were still being influenced by them and they agreed with me. This was my first presentation I did as a MDR volunteer and it was all it took for me to want to continue working with MDR. I realized there are lots of young people out there that are watching, listening, and imitating things they see on TV. Like some of the students mentioned during my presentation, sometimes they aren't aware or they don't realize about this, they just need someone who explains this to them and MDR does an excellent job. Also, while teaching about all the negative stereotypes of minority people (Latinos, African Americans, etc) being portrayed in the media, I have witnessed so many young students get inspired to stay in school, get a higher education, and follow their dreams to prove all this negative stereotypes wrong! This is what motivates me to keep working with MDR! I see a positive difference made every time we go out to do a presentation.
This is such a wonderful program. I hope they win the grant money
You hit the nail right on the head, Lalyne! And you've been such an amazing part of this process. Thank you so much for all of the hours- and after hours- you put into making sure this is the best possible program for L.A. youth! You're AMAZING! :)
Thank you so much for your amazing contribution to our youth, Irene! I have seen you grow tremendously through this program. I've also seen the way you connect with our youth as a leader and with your peers as a trainer. You rock!
Thank you, Milele!