WHYY Announces 2013 Youth Media Award Winners

Philadelphia, PA -- The WHYY Youth Media Awards honors the best media produced by youth in grades 6-12 in the Philadelphia region. The 2013 YMA honored work produced between August 1, 2012 and July 31, 2013. Over 165 entries were received competing in five categories in each division, Narrative, Documentary, News Report, Open, Middle School.

Our own Leontyne Anglin, director and executive producer, served for a 2nd year as a judge on the selection committee for the prestigious awards.  

See complete list of winners:

http://www.whyy.org/hamiltoncommons/yma2013.php

Beyond Expectations gearing up for Weekend Retreat (Oct 18 - 20)

In addition to our 5-session media production programs, Beyond Expectations also offers intensive one-day 'speedcrewing' workshops and weekend retreats for organizations interested in youth programs within a condensed timeframe.

We're gearing up for our next retreat at a transitional living home in Central New Jersey for older youth ages 18-21. Looking forward to helping another group of young people bring their visions to life...

Beyond Expectations awarded SCRA Community Mini-Grant

Beyond Expectations in partnership with The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) has been selected for a mini-grant provided by the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA) to help support and catalyze small scale, time-sensitive community interventions, whether action or research based, that are consistent with the SCRA vision, mission, principles and goals. 

The award will be used to obtain new equipment and to organize a Community Screening to raise awareness of issues facing vulnerable youth. The project will be youth-driven by students who complete a 6-session production workshop with Beyond Expectations in camera operation, audio production, segment development, and events management. The event will be held in April 2014 as a lead in to National Foster Care Month.

Our collaborative media literacy and youth development project was selected from international applicants across the globe including other recipients from Brazil, Rwanda, Jamaica, and Cairo, Egypt. 

The Society for Community Research and Action - Community Psychology, Division 27 of the American Psychological Association -  is an international organization devoted to advancing theory, research, and social action. Its members are committed to promoting health and empowerment and to preventing problems in communities, groups, & individuals.

Beyond Expectations alumni on the move...

Chental Bembry attended the Young Diplomats Program, a week-long summer residential leadership program at Hampton University, that exposes students to international relations between the United States and China. She participated in leadership, economic, and liberal arts classes, as well as a Chinese language course taught in the Scripps Howard Journalism School of Communications.

Chental is an award-winning author of the Honey Bunch Kids book series. Since successfully completing our television production program, she hosted a television segment and joined our crew this summer as a Production Assistant on a youth film project.

Anthony "Wolf" Weaver successfully completed an intensive summer internship with Beyond Expectations. Following his stellar work as a host on two BETV segments, he was invited to join our team as a Production Intern.

Anthony's natural leadership abilities were uncovered as he had an opportunity to assist middle school students with the development of an original television segment. He also facilitated a session on creating digital audio tracks used to accompany b-roll footage.

Leah Cohen graduated from The College of New Jersey with Bachelor of Arts degree in Clinical/Counseling Psychology and a minor in Creative Writing. She was recently hired as a Capacity Buildling and CEL Coordinator at AmeriCorps VISTA.

Leah has an interest in working with adolescents in direct care or nontherapeutic nonprofit programs. She has volunteered with Beyond Expectations youth in both our filmmaking and television production programs.