Full of Positive Energy, Open-mindedness

6/13/2017

by Maleah Briggs

The first day I walked in, I was late. Missing the actual first day of the program was causing me to be extremely nervous the whole time while I was riding in the car to the Youth Media Project, up until walking through the doors. Smiles and warm welcomes met me, erasing my slight feelings of awkwardness and anxiety.

I greeted the adults I saw by the door, and then Ms. Donna pulled me over to the side as she explained to me that she had remembered who I was from two summers ago, before YMP became a separate project from her newspaper. She hadn't realized who I was at the pizza party from two weeks before. By then, I started to be relieved of my overall stress.

When I walked to where the other students were, everyone was already talking in groups or to themselves. I started to question where I was going to sit. After seeing a few familiar faces and speaking, I felt more at ease and sat right by them. I looked around the room, and it seemed like I was right where I was supposed to be.

From my experience so far, I have no complaints. The environment is full of positive energy, and with the sessions from Donna, I will be able to learn and absorb more information and knowledge. Being here, I've met and talked with more people outside of my race and gained insight on other peoples' perspectives and what they go through for being themselves. The people I've interacted with have been open-minded and have attitudes that will go well with the collaborations and projects in the future.

My hopes for Youth Media Project are set, and I know I can attain them with the help of everyone else. The experiences I will have this summer are going to be ones to remember.

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Our Sponsors and Supporters

Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) is a leader in informational broadcasting. MPB has exhibited a commitment to educating and informing Mississippians. MPB has partnered with YMP to lend tech equipment and provide youth engagement and media specialists to train students.

Jackson-based Workplace Solutions by Barefield is a Steelcase authorized dealer offering high-end office furniture and technology solutions. Workplace Solutions has loaned chairs, mobile desks and mobile whiteboards to create a collaborative office for YMP participants.

Podastery Studios in downtown Jackson offers a network of locally produced podcasts. Podastery has generously donated their time and allowed YMP to borrow professional podcasting equipment to learn production skills.

Dialogue Jackson, formerly Jackson 2000 Inc., is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to fostering understanding and building harmony between people of different races, ethnicities and backgrounds. The group became YMP's fiscal sponsor in 2017 and hosts youth dialogues for teens..

Choice Printing in downtown Jackson is an in-kind sponsor of YMP offering YMP copying and printing services from its Capitol Towers location.

Good Design & Code >>

Good Design & Co offers high-end UI/UX, web development, app development and branding services. Principal J.C. Hiatt is helping YMP students publish their own website for stories, video, podcasts and more.

Special thanks to the Mattiace Company for supporting and maintaining YMP's creative and inspiring office space on the 13th Floor of Capital Towers in downtown Jackson.

Jackson-based Fuse.cloud (formerly Broadband Voice) offers Voice-over-IP phone systems, fiber Internet connections and technical services. Fuse.cloud has sponsored phones, VoIP phone service and technical assistance for the Youth Media Project.

SPECIAL THANKS TO DR. GEORGE SCHIMMEL FOR HIS GENEROUS DONATION OF A PRODUCTION IMAC FOR THE YOUTH MEDIA PROJECT.

YMP Student Voices