It's all good

Hola everyone. This morning the Grand Rapids Community Media Center held a teacher orientation for the public school system in GR. We basically let the teachers know how to use our Media Center to help them in the classroom. I presented on digital storytelling and talked to a Spanish teacher about helping out in his classroom. I never thought that I would be able to use Spanish this much during my VISTA year, and it has really been helpful in a lot of situations. We did demos on how to use cameras and iMovie. Overall it was a success.

Summer is winding down, and the two youth programs we had going on are finished. It was pretty intense, working with young artists in the morning and then at-risk youth in the afternoons. It is nice to actually have a lunch hour these days.

The GLBT digital storytelling program is up and running. I have 6 youth involved, they are all high school, and really fun to work with. The word is getting out, and I have a lot of requests for adult classes on digital storytelling. Digital storytelling has been such an easy way to get in touch with people who want to make a smaller, non-intimidating work of video.

The GRCMC has been awesome to work at because as a staff member I can pretty much do what I want with the resources they have. Everything is volunteer based, and we just need people to put the time in to do things. For example, we have a new sound system in our theater, and have been putting on music concerts. I started setting the lights and programed the light board, and so far have lit 14 bands from GR and beyond. I am trying to take advantage of everything I can here during my year of service.

I am pumped for the NAMAC conference in OCT. and hope to see some familiar faces there!!

Pre-production for fall projects with youth are in the works...

Have a spectacular day!
Sarah