8/7/2019 Mentoring Tomorrow's Media Makers

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DECEMBER 10 ,   JANUARY11 IMAGINE WWW IMAGINENEWS .CO M

Mentoring Tomorrow’s Media Makers

FEATURE

production workshop where the magazine-style program is written, filmed, producedand edited by Boston area teens. Teen TV airsin Boston, New York, Philadelphia and region-ally and is available on line at blip.tv.

According to Mr. Michel, “Teen TV is like a job site . Young people collaborate on projectsand learn the kinds of skills that you need to

work in a creative team. Media is unmaskedin this type of environment. It’s not magic; ittakes hard work. You learn that you have towrestle with ideas to reach an audience andmay need to take multiple takes, revise yourscript, and resolve lighting and sound issues.Through the fire of experience you learn tobe patient and persistent, and learn how towork with others in a stressful environment.”

Asked why HOME, Inc. is developing amentor program for youth now, Mr. Michelreplied, “It’s a way for kids to connect withsomeone in the field and get a deeper under-standing of the work environment.

Our students are going through the criticalyears of adolescence and early adulthood,

when young people can benefit from adultguidance. Mentors can help students clarifylife goals and provide more specific advice asit relates to career paths in the media. Mosthigh school students are unaware of themultitude of career opportunities in the me-dia – both in front of and behind the camera.Mentors who work in these fields can openour student’s horizons to the variety of op-portunities and the skills needed to succeedin the industry. Beyond just simply educatingstudents about these possibilities, mentorscan help them secure internships or even

 jobs at media companies. These relationshipsare especially important in an industry whereso many opportunities are based on personalconnections.”

Mentor relationships are important in morefundamental ways as well. Research has

ery professional working in today’s multi-

eted media industry has had someone inlife that mentored and advised him in his

reer, opened doors for him or otherwiseed as a friend and confidant. Mentorsy a crucial role in guiding a young personwards his personal and career aspirations.e mentor may have been a teacher in high

hool or college, a professional who took m under his wing as an intern, a colleaguework or at his first real job.

er city teens experience greater obstaclestheir path to success than their suburbaners such as underperforming schools.e Boston Foundation found that onlypercent of Boston Public High Schools

port offering any significant arts instructiontheir students. And a study by the Boston

vate Industry Council reported that of ston Public School graduates in 2000, only% had completed a 2 or 4-year degree.nly about 60% of Boston’s students gradu-

high school.

OME, Inc. (“Here-in Our Motives Evolve”),s founded 30 years ago to develop theents of inner city teenagers in media andmmunication and to make a difference ineir education. This past year we worked inBoston and Somerville Schools reaching

er 1,900 students. Many of our studentsme from extended or immigrant familiesorking in service or blue-collar jobs. As ault, our students have to work harder tovelop additional relationships and accesse resources that their middle-class peers

owing up in Boston’s affluent suburbs have.

cording to HOME, Inc. Executive Directoran Michel, “HOME is making a differenceour students by helping them look at

e world analytically, and creatively, helpingem to think for themselves.” Adds Michel,alking about contemporary issues as wellactually producing media that reflects

eir point of view and analysis has added aw dimension to our student’s education.ey not only learn important interpersonalls like working as a team, but they alsorn the technical skills required in mediaoduction, including internet research,iting, graphic design, and video producingich build confidence that they can excel

d succeed.”

merville High School teacher, Craig Leach,cent alumni of HOME, Inc.’s Media Labrtnership program is a passionate believerthe integration of media studies within theblic school curriculum. “Today’s employerspect students who have some experiencesocial networking, research and communi-ions. When our youth learn these skills atoung age, we’re giving them an advantagehigher education and the working world

ke. What’s been encouraging for me in thessroom is to see students find their nicheschool. Some of my brightest studentsen’t getting straight A’s in the rest of theirbjects so it’s great to see them find an areaere they excel.”

OME, Inc. also coordinates, Teen TV, anensive summer media literacy and media

By Bruce Dillenbeck

from top to bottom

Home, Inc. Summer Program provides mentoring to atrisk teens.

Craig Leach, Somerville High School teacher is apassionate believer in the integrations of media studieswithin the public school curriculum.

Staff and Teens participating in making media duringHOME, Inc.’s 2010 Summer Program. Research has shown that at-risk young people in mentoring relationships aremore likely to stay in school.

Teens learn skills through working together while attendingHOME, Inc.’s Media Mentoring Program.

All photos are courtesy of HOME, Inc.

shown that at-risk young people in mentor-

ing relationships are more likely to stay inschool and develop positive attitudes towardwork and society and show an increase inself confidence and self expression.

Kevin Escobar, who recently graduated fromEnglish High, was a student in HOME’s mediaprogram and is now studying communica-tions at Suffolk University, believes he couldhave benefited from a mentor while in highschool. Kevin was originally drawn to videoproduction while watching the previousseason of “ETV”, an in-house televisionshow produced at English High. “What reallyattracted me to media studies were the edu-cational value and the comedy aspect as well.During the three years that Kevin studiedunder his teacher Xavier Rozas, he learned

how to perform before and behind a camerawhile becoming highly skilled at video editing.Kevin realized that he wanted to pursue a ca-reer in media when he saw his schoolmatesresponding positively to his work. Whenasked if he could have benefited from havinga mentor in high school he told me, “To havehad someone who worked in the industry, togive me advice, teach me the ropes on howto handle myself in the industry, and to even

 just develop a friendship with would havebeen an amazing experience.”

Craig Leach concurred. “Having a mentor is agreat benefit for students interested in media,because it can introduce them to peopleactually working in the industry, living out astudent’s career goal, which shows that there

are opportunities out there in the field thatthey are interested in.”

HOME, Inc. is piloting a mentoring programat English High in Jamaica Plain this yearwith the assistance of Xavier Rozas, EnglishHigh School’s Media teacher and is activelyrecruiting mentors to work with studentsenrolled in English High’s media studiesclasses. Mentors are expected to commit onehour per week over the course of the yearand are supported with an orientation andsubsequent workshops. HOME, Inc. will alsohost a number of events where mentors andtheir matches can come together for somefun activities.

Mentors complete an application and un-

dergo an interview and background check.HOME, Inc.’s Media Mentor Program isfunded in part through the Mass MentoringPartnership’s Highland Street Corps Ambas-sadors of Mentoring program. Ambassadorsare AmeriCorps members who are placedat mentoring programs and youth-servingorganizations statewide.

For further information please contact BruceDillenbeck at 617 427-4663. You can also goto HOME, Inc.’s website, www.homeinc.org,where you can download an application byclicking on the link “Opportunities.”

 Mr. Dillenbeck has previously worked for both