Youth activists at the Allied Media Conference are building this map to show the organizations they work with and the issues that impact their communities. They are also embedding videos they have produced into the map.

View Youth Media AMC in a larger map

Xavi Macias, Zane Scheuerlein and Mindy Faber of Open Youth Networks are off this week to present two workshops at the Allied Media Conference.

Using Google Maps to Visualize the Network of Youth Organizations at the AMC

will help youth build a national Google map of youth media activists.

The Culture of Video Remix: Tools and Approaches for the Media Educator

participants will learn the various tools, apps and methods for creating video remixes that critically examine mass media messages. Using bit torrent, audio hijack, and video download, conversion and compression tools - they will grab several video files off the web and learn about fair use provisions of copyright law as they apply to the work of educators and student remixers.

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In 2003, Marisol Becerra volunteered with Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) to map and inventory the toxins found within 150 blocks of her predominantly Mexican-American community, Little Village in Chicago. Marisol was enraged to discover that in Little Village more than 60,000 youth in a two-mile radius of the Fisk and Crawford Coal Power Plants are forced to breathe air that violates EPA standards. She was inspired to act, she said, “in order to shut down these coal power plants, build more parks, and clean up the toxics. We must organize more people to stand up and fight.” Her first step was launching the youth branch of LVEJO — Youth Activists Organizing as Today’s Leaders, YAOTL. Based on the data Marisol collected, YAOTL collaborated with Chicago-based Open Youth Networks to devise OurMap of Environmental Justice, an interactive online map that includes 12 youth-created videos, descriptions of toxic sites, and gang territory delineations. With this map, Marisol educated her community about local environmental injustice and motivated them to become involved in campaigns. The map uses poignant facts and videos to educate about the different pollutants and contaminants in Little Village that cause 41 premature deaths and 550 emergency room visits annually. In 2008, Marisol was awarded a Brower Youth Award for her commitment and work.

Open Youth Networks is offering two training workshops in Google MyMaps this February.

The first one takes place at the Illinois Computing Educators Confrence in St. Charles on Feb 26th 10-12:30. See Below
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The second takes place in collaboration with Columbia Links on Saturday February 28th. Teachers and youth are invited as well as youth media educators.

Teachers will receive continuing education credits and a $50 stipend.
Lunch will be provided.

Teachers can bring two students with them to the workshop.


10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 28

Columbia College Department of Journalism,
33 E. Congress Parkway, Room 214

To RSVP please e-mail columbialinks@colum.edu or call 312-369-8993