Enrollment is now open!
Applications are due July 15, 2023.
The Cohort is a program that will take place over nine Saturdays from July 29 to September 30, 2023. The program will run from 10 am to 4 pm. However, the program will not meet on Labor Day weekend (September 2).
To apply for the program, interested individuals should send their applications to the CAN TV Training Department either by email at training@cantv.org or by mail to CAN TV Training Department, 1309 South Wood Street, Chicago, IL 60608.
Every community within every neighborhood contains storytelling networks which are the primary methods by which people gain the information they need to make their way through life.
These storytelling sources can be at the mega level (regional/national sources such as the Associated Press, NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, WBEZ/Sun-Times, Fox News, Google, Facebook, TikTok, or the Chicago Tribune), the meso (local sources such as neighborhood newspapers or parent-teacher organizations), or the micro (including bulletin boards at the local grocery or even conversations over the backyard fence.) Research by the Annenberg School of Communication at USC and others has cited the breakdown of the meso and micro storytelling networks as a cause for the decrease in civic engagement in many communities.
Traditional journalism, current social media platforms, and legacy ethnic media cannot fulfill the racial equity sought by this next generation of African, Latinx, Asian, Arab and Native American (ALAANA) media-making and story-telling leaders. Youth between the ages of 16 and 24 seek to create an individualized digital media strategy that amplifies their personal narrative and broadens their story-telling Distribution.
The Youth-Voice Digital Literacy and Storytelling Institute closes this generational divide through a 10-week out-of-school time program cohort, comprised of 10 students per cohort (150 students served annually) who professionally train in how to tell their story and make media. Specifically, the program elements include: 1) studio production, 2) field production, 3) editing, and 4) ideation, pre- and post-production, of a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly television program or limited series or documentary that will air on CAN TV cable channel 19 including broadcast and streaming via Roku, Firestick, and Apple+.
Frequently Asked Questions
YVDLS is the of Youth - Voice Digital Literacy and Storytelling program at CAN TV. The program is a new initiative of CAN TV and the Chicago Access Corporation. The Chicago Access Corporation has been in existence for nearly 40 years as an outlet for Chicago residents to share their stories.
YVDLS is an attempt to support hyper-local storytelling through a program of media literacy and content creation aimed at young adults in underserved Chicago communities. The systemic change sought through this program is to engage African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Native American (ALAANA) youth in participatory storytelling and media making to create and amplify more just, accurate and inclusive narratives that fulfill the racial equity sought by this next generation who cannot see a place for themselves in traditional journalism, social media platforms, and legacy ethnic media.
This is a 10 week program that meets once a week on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm at CAN TV, 1309 S Wood Street, Chicago, IL 60608.
The next cohort runs from July 29 to September 30, 2023. Applications are due July 15, 2023.
Participants receive a $1000 stipend during the program. Upon completion of the program, YVDLS participants are certified to use CAN TV’s Field, studio and editing equipment. They also receive a CAN TV membership which allows the checkout and use of CAN TV equipment, use of edit suites and use of the CAN TV studio for future productions.
Yes! Weekly attendance at YVDLS is expected! Being sick or missing a week is OK, but members are expected to give the facilitators at least 24-hour notice. This is a fast-paced program and team members depend on each other. Each meeting builds off the last. If a member has three absences in a month, their spot in the program will be in jeopardy. If a member has more than three unexcused absences, their place in YVDLS will be in jeopardy.
YVDLS is facilitated by:
Jim Knightwright, CAN TV Training Manager. Jim manages all of the training programs at CAN TV. He holds a Master’s Degree in Communication from Illinois State University.
Karen Anderson, CAN TV Training Coordinator. Karen teaches media classes at CAN TV and holds a Master’s Degree in New Arts Journalism from the School of the Arts Institute
Eric Torres, Senior Training Coordinator. Eric teaches media classes and is a documentary producer. Eric’s Bachelor’s Degree is from New York University.
YVDLS is a competitive program that can be listed as an extra-curricular activity. Colleges and employers recognize what participants gain from intensive programs like this. You can expect your members to gain skills in teamwork, production planning, research, and confidence in collaborating with people different from them. CAN TV staff are always happy to write recommendation letters.
This program by CAN TV is designed to support hyper-local storytelling through a program of media literacy and content creation.
Each session will include a guest local professional and hands-on work with various media tools. The beginning weeks will include instruction on storytelling tools, media production and editing, and journalistic practices. Later weeks of the program will be devoted to the participants’ individual and collective storytelling efforts.
At times the members may be asked to do short activities at home. We try to keep the content in the meetings. Success in the program comes from weekly attendance, participation, and keeping up with the weekly emails from the institute leaders.
Yes! YVDLSI is very focused on the Young Adults building relationships with each other and forming a group bond. We hope that, above all else, YVDLSI is a fun experience that they look forward to coming to each week!