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YMP Student Voices

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

The Fire Hydrant in my Road

6/12/2017

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by Maggie Jefferis

I was waltzing down the street looking up toward the Regions Building, pointing it out to the other kids, and then all of a sudden I felt something hard and kind of cold touch my knee. Something somewhere in the back of my head told me to keep walking. So I did, and then I flipped over a fire hydrant, landing on my knees and giving everyone some pretty good laughs. 

I knew then and there this was how my summer was going to go, me being completely oblivious to everything happening so much so that I might get hurt. When you expect something to happen one way, and it happens a totally different way, it can be a little jarring at first, but eventually you'll get used to it.

My first day here this year, I expected to walk in knowing everything: having my own little quiet space in the Video Grave; there being a video team; us still being in our little Hogwarts houses (video, writing, podcasting). I expected more people from last year to show up. 

Instead, I got a room full of kids I mostly knew from one place or another, only eight ​returners from last summer, and my biggest shock of all ... death to the houses. Instead, the people in charge had decided that we would have project teams this summer where each project has writing, video, photography and podcasts, and I will admit, I hated the idea at first. I'm not its No. 1 supporter now, either, but I understand the purpose of it. 

I'm not one who is considered exactly ​good​ with change, and this was a little too much for my liking. New adults, new kids, new format, new everything. I thought ​this​ was my fire hydrant in the middle of the sidewalk, which side note was in a weird spot so it was totally not my fault I ran into it. But, regardless, I think I might have been wrong because I've pressed forward; and I haven't flipped. I'm going to get to the fire hydrant in the road at some point this summer, but it sure won't be change that makes me flip. ​
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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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