Over the last week, Adobe Youth Voices has celebrated three AYV Live! events in Seattle, San Francisco, and San Jose. This was a special year for the celebrations, with audience turnout exceeding all previous years.

One thing that remained the same, however, was the excitement that students expressed at being able to showcase a year’s worth of hard work to their friends and family.

“What I was most excited about this year is how the teachers and students have grown from our experience of working together,” says Marisa Vitiello, an Adobe Youth Voices lead educator, of the Seattle event. “The films are more creative and there is more attention to craft, without losing that essential youth voice. I’m so proud of these young people, and I continue to be impressed by their teachers who are so dedicated to the craft of teaching and to their students.”

The projects showcased in the Bay Area also raised the bar. “The messages this year were so positive,” reports Alex Yamamoto, program manager for Adobe Youth Voices. “I am glad to see that students are taking their work to the next level: they are not just tackling difficult issues, but they are taking the time to come up with solutions and present those solutions in their films.”

Several more AYV Live! celebrations will be held across North America in the coming weeks, from Chicago, Ottawa and Toronto to Boston and New York City. As end-of-year projects are submitted, they will be uploaded to the Youth Media Gallery – so check back often for more great youth produced media!

Karen Cirillo has worked with UNICEF for almost a decade, and for the last six years her primary focus has been on supporting youth media education.

For five years, Karen directed the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting, which focuses on programming that takes a deeper dive into children’s issues, and which also encourages young people to get involved with the broadcasting process. “If young people see themselves on air,” says Karen, “they might feel more encouraged to speak out about the issues they are facing.”

Most recently, Karen has focused on producing theoneminutesjr., an initiative with The One Minutes Foundation to train young people on filmmaking techniques, and then coach them through the process of directing and producing a one minute film.

Karen, whose background is in film curation, served as a program director for a film festival in North Carolina before joining UNICEF in 2002. In her spare time, Karen still keeps her feet wet in the world of film, producing Doxita, a traveling festival that highlights short documentaries, and which is typically screened in art spaces such as museums and university centers.

Karen says the best part of her job with UNICEF is the opportunity to meet young people from all over the world. Sometimes the students in Karen’s filmmaking workshops are in their young teens, but already working to help support their families and carving out time for the workshop to follow a new passion for filmmaking. Other students may be young activists in the field of human rights, taking a filmmaking class as one of many stepping stones to college. What all her students have in common is a desire to share their stories across boundaries and borders. Karen’s workshops help her students take storytelling to the next level: graduating from capturing video clips with their cellphones to learning how to operate professional cameras and use advanced filmmaking techniques.

Although producing a traveling film festival and teaching workshops around the globe would be enough to keep anyone busy, Karen is also volunteering her time as a judge in the Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards.

When Kane Milne became a facilitator for the Adobe Youth Voices program, he was working as a director of the only Intel Computer Clubhouse in New Zealand. Over the last several years he has overseen the expansion of the program, and now New Zealand boasts five Computer Clubhouses. Kane oversees the Adobe Youth Voices program at each site.

“I learn as much as anyone in the program,” says Kane of his involvement with Adobe Youth Voices. “Being able to lead youth through the creative process and seeing their imagination ignite, and them get a real sense of empowerment is awesome.”

The programs work primarily with youth from New Zealand’s Maori community, and other students of Pacific Islander descent. “As with a lot of marginalized communities, the way we are portrayed in the mainstream media doesn’t often reflect the reality the members see each day.”

Kane believes the biggest strength of the Adobe Youth Voices program hasn’t been the way it reaches youth, but rather the way it has given youth an opportunity to reach out to a wider audience and tell the stories which the media has overlooked.

Kane describes himself as a lifelong learner, and spends his free time with his family, playing music and practicing his craft as a photographer. He is also volunteering as a judge for the Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards, another opportunity for Kane to support young people in telling their stories on the world stage.

This spring, Monica Grover of the Global Fund For Children had the opportunity to visit two Adobe Youth Voices partner sites in Lagos, Nigeria. Both programs are focused on empowering young women to speak out on the urgent issues they face in their communities.

For the young women at the Media Concern Initiative, those issues range from the highly personal, such as sexual abuse and the effects of broken homes on families, to community and global conversations, such as the growing environmental crisis. The Adobe Youth Voices courses are held on Saturday afternoons, when Program Officer Francesca Adeola Abiola trains girls aged 12-18 on all aspects of media creation, from narration to technical skills.

“Working with young people and providing them with knowledge is something I find fulfilling. The best part is that, at the end of the day, I have a chance to see the media that the youth produce,” Adeola told Monica Grover during her visit. “[The students] now have an understanding of how to create media pieces, and they believe in themselves. They believe they can create change. This is the impact of the program.”

The students at Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND) are also using their media training to tackle tough personal and community issues. KIND focuses on working with young women aged 15-18 from low-income families.

“In families that have close to nothing, it can be challenging to meet the demands of everyone in the household,” says Temitope Tejuoso, an Adobe Youth Voices Master Educator who teaches students through the KIND program. Many of Tope’s students make time for Adobe Youth Voices in addition helping support their families through domestic labor or street vending. This work often leaves young women vulnerable to sexual harassment and other dangerous situations.

The students at KIND have found the courage to speak out about the issues they face, even though the threat of backlash from their friends and communities is very real. Recently one young women dropped out of the program as a consequence of the negative response she received after her media made local headlines.

Tope and the young woman’s classmates at KIND are eagerly awaiting her return, and in the meantime they continue to do the courageous work of speaking their minds and taking a stand for their community.

We invite you to view the Global Fund For Children blog to read the full account of Monica Grover’s visit to Media Concern Initiative and Kudirat Initiative for Democracy.

Ivan Reyes Martinez has been involved with the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula for many years, since he was a teenager himself. Ivan credits his early days at the club with getting him started down the pathway towards a music career that took off right out of high school.

The magic began when Ivan got the chance to use the club’s music equipment. “There was a group of teens, maybe 25 of us, who were fighting for time in the tiny recording studio,” remembers Ivan, who had to take turns using the studio and only put his hands on the equipment for 20 or 30 minutes a day.

Ivan says Peter Pheap, former Director of the Boys & Girls Club in Redwood City, “took him under his wing” so to speak, and encouraged Ivan to finish high school and to pursue his newfound passion. “Peter saw my persistence and my determination to learn, and that is what helped me stand out from the rest of the team. He noticed that I took the basics and ran with them. Eventually I bought my own little speakers and computer and software, and after a year of experimenting, I made a CD for Peter.”

It was not long after producing this “debut” CD for his mentor that Ivan gathered a few of his talented friends together and started making music in earnest, producing tracks that quickly became famous in his neighborhood, and then far beyond. Ivan’s music was soon being played on the radio, first on local Bay Area stations and later on the Clear Channel networks, and even received recognition on BET. Ivan soon found himself traveling across the country making music and working with well known names in the industry.

Although he knew that as a musician, he had talent and promise, Ivan decided that it was important to augment his raw talent with education and professional experience, which led him back to the Bay Area. For the last few years, Ivan has kept an ambitious schedule, pursuing a degree in music tech in the mornings, working in the afternoons, spending his evenings doing homework and producing music whenever he can.

When returning to his hometown of Redwood City, he stopped in to visit Peter Pheap and the Boys & Girls Club, and learned that the center was now hosting a Peapod Adobe Youth Voices Academy. Ivan was hired by the Academy to manage the music program and hit the ground running, producing I Am The Difference as his first project with his students. Since this auspicious start, Ivan has coached his students to produce the amazing body of work that has come from this program.

Ivan puts a lot of emphasis on the importance of staying focused on education, telling his students that they can’t expect to rest on talent alone. “The music industry has changed so much, it’s rare these days that anyone can just be a musician. You also have to understand production, distribution, business, marketing… There’s a lot you have to know in order to make it in the industry today, that’s why you need an education to back you up.”

What’s different now at the Peapod Adobe Youth Voices Academy is that with an expanded music program, students have more chances to put their hands on production equipment and fuel their passions, motivating them to stay committed to finishing school. Says Ivan of his students, “They have the artistic skills and the vision to go far. I help them focus on what they are good at, then I help them back it up with the skills they need to be a success.”

Ivan also emphasizes that no one should take things for granted, regardless of their talents and interests. “Everyone needs to think about how much work their parents and families have put into building a life and raising their kids, especially when they have immigrant parents like me. It was always my dad’s dream to see me finish my education, and that played a big part in my realization that I needed to take that next step. My dad always told me, you may have been born in this country, but without an education you will be foreign to your industry: you need to be prepared.”

Now only two quarters away from finishing his college degree, Ivan has big plans for the future. He’s been building a collection of instrumental tracks and looks forward to getting more time back in the studio himself, but he’s also looking forward to continuing his work with his Academy students.

“On a personal level, Adobe Youth Voices has helped me to fulfill that musical need that I have in me every day, the outlet to produce media that does have a purpose, that makes people feel inspired and motivates them to do something. The music industry doesn’t usually focus on that. This program keeps young people occupied with something positive, and helps to inspire them to strive and improve themselves.”

Ivan is looking forward to hearing the amazing music his students will keep writing and producing, as well as the world of inspired music he’ll review as an Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards judge.

Sandra Holland has been an educator with the San Jose Unified School District for 12 years, the past four of which she has been using Adobe Youth Voices curriculum in her classroom. Now an AYV Lead Educator, Sandra is passionate about providing the opportunities to her students that they might not otherwise have.

“We feel fortunate to have Adobe mentors come in to our classroom to offer technical expertise on media projects,” says Sandra. “This extra technical support and mentoring is not usually available at the high school level. This support has expanded the boundaries of what our youth can accomplish.” Sandra says that her students are now participating in film festivals and local arts exhibitions, and gaining personal & professional skills while having fun.

For Sandra, inspiring young people to create is a family tradition. “I come from a long line of working artists and educators,” says Sandra about her family, which includes painters, sculptors, commercial artists and art professors. “My family is my inspiration for a career in the arts, they have always encouraged me to follow my dream.”

Working with young creative minds is deeply fulfilling for Sandra, who says she is lucky to have such great students to work with. “I love seeing excitement in students when they come up with a great idea. I enjoy helping students to problem solve and communicate visually.”

Willow Glen High School, where Sandra teaches, has a student population that reflects the diverse community of San Jose. “Our population includes students from around the globe, each student brings a unique story to share.” Sandra enjoys using creative curriculum to support her students in telling their stories, and helping students forge connections between each other and with the community at large. “Adobe Youth Voices has created a community that goes beyond the classroom walls.”

Sandra is volunteering as an Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards judge, yet another opportunity to help students understand themselves as part of a global community of artists.

This has been an exciting week for students in Seattle, who are nearing the end of five intense days of filmmaking. Fifteen students from around the city have gathered for this year’s camp, which is being hosted at the Center School in downtown Seattle, which donated the use of their facilities for the camp.

The students are joined by filmmaking pros such as Malory Graham, the founder and former executive director of Reel Grrls, who are coaching students through the entire process of script writing, storyboarding, filming and editing. Today, students will have a rough cut review process, in which they receive feedback and advice from a panel of experts that will include volunteers from SIFF and Adobe offices. Then it’s a mad dash to the finish line for students tomorrow, making the last edits and putting the finishing touches on their projects in time to submit them to the Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards.

This year’s film camp students have created films on a wide variety of topics, ranging from equality to personal motivation to the power of creativity. Keristian Farra, a young woman who recently immigrated from Ethiopia, created a film about her experience being torn between American and Ethiopian cultures. The filmmaking process not only gave Keristian an opportunity to tell her story, but it also allowed her to develop new technical skills. “I learned how to use a new camera and make a stop motion movie,” says Keristian of her experience.

We can’t wait to see the films produced in this year’s film camp, and we wish students great luck as they go on to submit their films to the Aspire Awards, SIFF FutureWave and AYV Live! Seattle, giving them a chance to share their creativity and voice with their community!

Robert Kenner’s passion for film emerged as a teenager, when made a habit of sneaking off to a local art house to watch independent films. Choosing to pursue the route of apprenticeship rather than formal education, Robert got his first start with hands-on filmmaking after high school, when he landed a job as an assistant cinematographer on the set of a film about the roller derby.

This experience set him on the road towards making films himself someday. “Watching wonderful documentaries and meeting talented filmmakers when I was 18, I was inspired by their talent and passion,” says Robert of his experience.

Since producing his first film in the 1980′s, Robert has focused much of his career on the genre of documentaries, producing award-winning films for National Geographic and PBS. Robert is best known for his documentary Food, Inc., produced in 2008, which examined corporate farming practices in the United States.

What is Robert’s advice to young filmmakers? “Don’t only speak to the converted. Try to reach out to a new audience.”

“You have to pick a subject that you are ready to live with for a long time,” Robert also advises. “Hopefully it can keep growing.” He also points out that a film needs to work on a cinematic level as well as a content level – pointing to the need for artistic vision as well as storytelling.

Robert joins a team of creative professionals who will be judging student work in the Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards. “I am inspired by the passion of young filmmakers,” he says, and adds that he is looking forward to seeing new talent and hearing new voices.

Last week, Adobe Youth Voices gathered together with program partners in Adobe’s San Jose headquarters for the annual Adobe Youth Voices Partner Meeting and Train-the-Trainer gathering. The event brings leadership from across the program to network, solidify plans for the coming year, review program objectives, and celebrate collaborative efforts.

This year, Adobe Youth Voices was proud to announce four new program partners, who joined last week’s gathering in San Jose. The new partners are… (drumroll please)…

Reel Grrls, already an Adobe Youth Voices grantee, will be broadening the reach of their work in Seattle through an expanded partnership.

Urban Arts Partnership, home of the Peapod Adobe Youth Voices Academy that opened last spring, will also expand their relationship with AYV this year, becoming a regional partner in New York.

Bay Area Video Coalition & 1st Act Silicon Valley, brand new to the Adobe Youth Voices family, will expand afterschool arts programs for students in San Francisco and San Jose.

Over the next several weeks, we will take a closer look at these four new partners, sharing the news with you about the exciting work they are doing to support youth media education. We can’t wait to see the amazing stories and inspiring media that will be produced in all of these partner locations. Stay tuned for an amazing year!

Sarah Kay, an accomplished spoken word performer, grew up in a family of artists. Both of her parents are photographers, but they fostered in her a love for all of the fine arts. Growing up, Sarah was infused with the jazz music her father was passionate about, and her mother modeled for her a deep love of books and literature. When Sarah was in elementary school, each day she would open her lunch box to discover a poem her mother or father had written on a colored Post-It note. “They made poetry something to look forward to,” says Sarah about this daily ritual.

Sarah’s romance with spoken word began at age fourteen, when she visited a friend’s house and viewed the documentary SlamNation, and realized that the slam genre was the perfect marriage of her two favorite art forms: poetry and theater. Although she was intrigued, it wasn’t until a mysterious event occurred that Sarah imagined a place for herself within the world of slam performance.

“A few weeks later,” says Sarah, “I received a letter informing me I had been registered for a teen poetry slam. I still don’t have any explanation for that letter and nobody has ever owned up for it. The timing was right, and I decided to give it a try. I wrote what I thought was a ‘slam poem’ and somehow managed to get onstage and perform it. The performance itself was fairly terrifying, but there was a moment after that first performance when an older, bigger girl from the audience tapped me on the shoulder and told me, ‘Thank you. I really felt that.’ And that was the moment of transformation.”

In the years since that first day on stage, Sarah has built her life around a career of poetry performance that has taken her to every corner of the globe. “I have been so lucky to be able to do what I love and travel all over the world. Over and over I am struck, not by the differences, but by the similarities. Countries, cultures– these can be vastly different places and environments, but everywhere I have been, there are people who share a love, or discover a love of listening to and sharing stories. It’s really remarkable that spoken word, which is just a new(er) incarnation of a very old art form of oral tradition, is being ‘rediscovered’ in an age when technology is connecting everyone.”

Perhaps an outgrowth of her interaction with so many people and cultures, Sarah feels passionately about the need to strike a balance in life between speaking and listening. “Some people only want to speak and hear their own voices, but then they don’t learn from others; they don’t learn compassion or empathy. Then there are other people who are scared to speak and are too willing to let others speak for them. This is dangerous because they sacrifice their individual story— one that nobody else can authentically tell. The key is balance. Be brave enough to speak, be open enough to listen.”

What does Sarah have to say to young artists and performers? “Don’t ever think that having a passion or having a talent is enough. It takes hard work. Constant hard work. And that’s ok. That’s good. That is what pushes you and forces you to grow and learn.”

Sarah is looking forward to participating in the Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards, where she will contribute her expertise as a judge for the Poetry / Experimental category. “I am looking forward to hearing and seeing students’ words and stories. Sort of like my lunch box poems. I love being surprised and not knowing what the next poem might be.”

Watch Sarah’s performance at TED in Long Beach, CA, in March 2011: