Asian Media Access receives Youthprise grant
0MINNEAPOLIS (June 7, 2012) — Asian Media Access has received a $25,000 grant from Youthprise, an intermediary in the out-of-school time field. The award was one of 101 grants totaling $2.1 million approved by the Youthprise board to Twin Cities’ organizations serving youth for out-of-school time programming.
“We are honored to be chosen by Youthprise to help advance the field of after-school and out-of-school time by creating high-quality multimedia arts programs and expanding access for under-privileged Asian youth to participate in learning opportunities outside of the classroom,” said Ange Hwang, executive director, Asian Media Access.
Asian Media Access will use the grant to implement Youth Media Force, though collaboration with partner schools and its Multimedia Arts Complex, a media, digital, performing arts-centered educational program for disadvantaged students, with special consideration for Asian immigrants and refugees. It is designed to improve leadership skills, academic achievement, and increase pride and self-worth, while helping them to become more productive and involved members of their communities.
Established in 1992, Asian Media Access is a leader in media arts education and presentation, communications strategies. It has been honored many times over 19 years for media arts, media, tech-based health and human services.
For the past decade, AMA’s Youth Media Force has worked as an after-school and out-of-school program. It is dedicated to serving under-privileged students through multimedia and digital arts, in developing critical-thinking and leadership skills, building self-esteem, enhancing self-expression, encouraging civic responsibility, and improving community life.
Bonnsy Vue, a YMF participant for the past five years, was awarded the Best of the 5th Ward 2011 – Youth Leader of the Year by the City of Minneapolis.
“I feel great, its like an accomplishment and recognition of what I’ve done,” Bonnsy said. “That evening, we were the only Asian group in the room at the award. This made me feel even more honored as I’m the only Asian youth receiving the award.”
Youthprise’s grants to Expand Access to Quality Learning Opportunities are one-year investments to 101 organizations in the metropolitan area. A full list of organizations receiving funding is available at www.youthprise.org/grant-making/grantees/.
Grantees will form a learning community that will advance the out-of-school time field in Minnesota by leading efforts to improve program quality, expand access to a greater number of youth, promote racial equity in the out-of-school time field and mobilize communities around a shared policy agenda for youth.
“Youthprise exists to accelerate leadership and innovation in the out-of-school time field,” explained Youthprise president Wokie Weah. “Making sure our youth have great learning opportunities during the more than 2,000 hours they have outside of school each year is a top priority. We want to see that all Minnesota youth thrive – no matter their background or circumstances. The achievement gap as the result of an opportunity gap and a key task for Youthprise is to fill that gap.”
Youthprise was founded in 2010 by The McKnight Foundation to increase the quality, accessibility, sustainability and innovation of opportunities for learning beyond the classroom. Youthprise works collaboratively with municipalities, funders, policymakers, program providers, youth and parents to ensure that all Minnesota youth, especially young people who are traditionally underserved, have access to affordable, quality learning opportunities during out-of-school time. For more information on Youthprise, visit www.youthprise.org.
AMA is a community-based organization dedicated to using media arts, media and technology for social betterment, especially in Asian & Pacific Islander communities with high concentrations of immigrants and refugees. The mission of Asian Media Access is to “connect the disconnected”. To know more about AMA, please visit www.amamedia.org.
