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YMP Student Voices

Hear from our current class of 2017 Youth Media Project participants in their own words.

Spending the Summer with Marilyn Monroe

6/13/2017

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by Chloe Bishop

When I first walked into the YMP office, I immediately felt excitement rush into me. The first thing I saw was the Marilyn Monroe cardboard cutout and knew I would like spending my summer days here. Then I turned the corner to a colorful area. 

​It was early morning when I arrived, so the place was pretty empty. Only two other girls were there. I took all of it in and felt overwhelmed and enthusiastic. I thought to myself, "What is it going to be like when we begin? What will I learn here?" When everyone started to arrive, my journey began.

The first few days were rough for me. As an introvert, I'm not comfortable around complete strangers, so of course I was a little mad when Emily Henderson made us do meet-and-greet exercises. It was completely awkward talking to and asking strangers questions. Sometimes the atmosphere was so awkward that neither my partner or I could say anything to make it better.  

​I did find comfort, though. Even if I was surrounded by strangers, there were friends who made the days better and more comfortable. I started to adjust to the place filled with strangers and started allowing myself to have fun. By the first Friday, June 3, the group activity was actually fun and not that awkward. The writer's lesson taught me what rigorous and great journalism looks like.

Once it was time to break for lunch, an interesting turn of events happened.
Sonni, Jeffrey and Chauncey and I stepped onto the first elevator that pulled up. We thought it was great because we'd probably have more time on our hands. 

​Unfortunately, fate is a cruel thing. Instead of taking us to the first floor, the elevator took us to the roof. No matter what we pressed, it would stay on the roof. Instead of trying again, we all got off and just walked to the first floor, which was a task. 

Luckily, the rest of the day went smoothly for the most part. The second fun part of that day was getting to do a small interview with another student. I will admit I was excited, but the interview was quite awkward at first. It was with someone I usually wouldn't talk to. In the end, the guy turned out to be really interesting, and it was just nice to practice interviewing someone. It will help me talk to people without acting awkward around them. It will also help me feel more prepared when I do actual interviews. 

Overall, I can tell that my experience here at YMP will be pretty unforgettable, but for now it has been filled with learning experiences, excitement and awkward moments.
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Major Sponsors and Supporters of YMP

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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. 
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E3, a project of Parents of Public Schools of Jackson (now Ask for More), supported YMP in summers 2016 and 2017 with stipends for students, and other  resources.
The Community Foundation of Greater Jackson (now The Community Foundation of Mississippi) is the
​fiscal sponsor for E3.
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Podastery Studios in downtown Jackson offers a network of locally produced podcasts. Beau York, founder of Podastery, has generously donated his time to train YMP students in podcasting skills and allowed Youth Media Project students to borrow professional podcasting equipment to learn
​production skills.
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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.. 

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

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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.
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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.

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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 YMP.

SPECIAL THANKS TO DR. GEORGE SCHIMMEL and NATALIE IRBY FOR THEIR GENEROUS DONATIONS OF PRODUCTION IMACS FOR THE YOUTH MEDIA PROJECT.
CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TO YMP.
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