“I want to be able to use media in a way that nobody else can, I want to open up my mind to the world.”
Meet Ashley, a graduate of our programming at New Settlement. After learning how to make media with us, she wanted to learn more about media education, so she joined us this summer as an intern working with students in our Bronxworks programs. Read on for more of what she learned about herself and the media, first as a student – and then as a teacher.
“From both programs, I have learned a lot. While I was in school, I was first starting off in the program as a participant that wanted to learn new, creative ideas. I learned how to interpret things in a whole new way. For example, at the beginning we were working on news reports and understanding what the news tries to convey to the audience. We learned that different news reports relate to different audiences. During the second half of the program, we started to look more at documentaries and how different they are depending on the message they want to show and who they want the audience to be. During the summer, I worked at the Classic Center, located in 156th Street. There, I helped out the teachers of the program which were Zen, Jen, and Keith. It was an experience that taught me how to be able to send out directions and help the children understand what their task is.
Being a program participant was very exciting because I got to work with cameras, come up with my own ideas, and go out and ask people questions. I got to hear people’s perspectives on the questions that I would ask. There was one project that we were working on and it was about self love. It was a topic that I really want to pursue because it’s a topic that will always be around. It may be a question that is asked frequently but people always have a new answer on how they feel about themselves and the way that they think people see them. Being a participant opened my eyes to new ideas.
Participating in these programs have helped improve my interest in media so much. At the beginning I was sure that I wanted to pursue a career in media but now I know that I really want to. Media is all around us and no matter where we try to go it will follow. Media is a way for people to express themselves, either anonymously or not. But, media is also a place where education will flourish and new steps are going to be taken. I want to be able to use media in a way that nobody else can, I want to open up my mind to the world. These programs have taught me so much about editing and how to use cameras to be able to send out the right message and not be distracted. When I was a participant I knew that The LAMP program wanted us to be the ones to be creating everything because they wanted to hear us out. In all, I have come a long way and being an intern this summer with the children help me realize that I want them growing up knowing that the media is in their control. We control the media, the media doesn’t control us. Yet, I still believe that media has a control on us.
As an intern, working with middle schoolers was a challenge that I didn’t think I could do, yet I still went. They were a bit distracted but at the end they completed what they had to. From the education programs, it was fun and easy to learn. In the summer, I learned about PSAs and how to be able to create one in 30 seconds. As an intern for the first time, it was fun and exciting. I felt like I had a job and it was to make sure that the children do what they need to do.”
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Watch Ashley’s short documentary with New Settlement:
