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.

A conversation with Jim: The Riverview Story

Bordentown, NJ -- An up close and personal interview with Beyond Expectations board member Jim Parker as we shares how he came to own and operate Riverview Studios, the project that led him into his career and ultimately his satisfaction in being able to work in film and video production for almost four decades!!

YoungArts Application is open

YoungArts provides emerging artists (ages 15-18 or grades 10-12) with life-changing experiences with renowned mentors, access to significant scholarships, national recognition, and other opportunities throughout their careers to help ensure that the nation’s most outstanding young artists are encouraged to pursue careers in the arts.

The National YoungArts Foundation identifies, supports, and invests in the artistic development of the next generation of young artists in the literary, performing, visual and design arts.

Deadline is October 18. 

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