Akeem Love came 3,000 miles to become a star. Like half a dozen
local teens, Love will spend the next two months learning the ropes
both in front of and behind the camera as a summer intern at the
Community Media Access Partnership, or CMAP, located on the Gavilan
College campus.
Akeem Love came 3,000 miles to become a star. Like half a dozen local teens, Love will spend the next two months learning the ropes both in front of and behind the camera as a summer intern at the Community Media Access Partnership, or CMAP, located on the Gavilan College campus.
A natural in front of the camera, the 15-year-old from Atlanta improvised a freestyle rap, substituting a nearby remote control for a microphone while his peers focused their cameras on him, learning the basics of lighting, camera angle and sound checks.
“This is not at all what I expected on the first day,” Love said.
CMAP Executive Director Kathy Bisbee didn’t waste a minute on book work or small talk with the teens. They dove right in on their first day, an indication of what the rest of the summer will bring. Over the next couple months, the teens will work as production assistants covering local events, editing footage and marketing community content for the Web and to air on CMAP’s cable channels. The positions are funded on a one-time basis by federal stimulus dollars allocated by President Barack Obama with the hope that, if all goes well, the funds may be renewable, said Enrique Arreola, deputy director of community services and workforce development in San Benito County, one of the agencies that referred its youth to CMAP.
On top of the cutting edge experience the students will gain by working in the studio and out in the field, they’ll learn old-fashioned skills like conducting a professional telephone conversation and composing a business letter, Bisbee said.
“For many of these youth, it is their first opportunity to learn basic office skills, teamwork and professional communication,” she said. “Some are unsure of what they can do in this economy, or haven’t yet explored career options. At their first job, they are excited to serve their community, learn video production and earn their first paycheck. It’s a great opportunity for the youth and for CMAP.”
CMAP is a public access television station and community media center operating five channels featuring locally produced public access, government and education content. The nonprofit serves Gilroy, San Juan Bautista and Hollister and offers free and low-cost training on cameras, lighting, field and studio production, digital storytelling and editing to community members, Bisbee said. The nonprofit was particularly excited to launch this pilot program for teens, she said.
“It seemed like a perfect fit,” Bisbee said after learning about federal stimulus dollars that were flowing into nonprofits to fund programs like the one CMAP developed. Bisbee got into the business when she was not much older than some of her interns, she said, and having an adult mentor to look up to is a “foot in the door.”
Most students came to CMAP by way of their local career centers and earn minimum wage – $8 per hour – thanks to federal stimulus dollars. The career centers use stimulus funds to pay the youth, the youth work at area nonprofits and the nonprofits gain valuable extra hands while imparting essential career training, Arreola said.
For the full story, see the Free Lance on Tuesday.
