MISSION

                                                     Open Youth Networks is an intergenerational collaboration of youth,
                                                     activists and artists committed to using and designing on-line media
                                                     and social networking tools for activism, expression, global civic
                                                     engagement and education.

Through participation in Open Youth Networks, young people from a wide variety of backgrounds broaden their social and cultural relationships and increase their political awareness while creating projects of dialogue, media art and action around issues – local, national and global – that are affecting their lives.
Open Youth Networks does not administer services ‘to’ youth, rather it works in partnership ‘with’ young people to help them become critical thinkers, change agents and pro-active problem-solvers.
Open Youth Networks achieves its goals by providing the infrastructure, training, opportunity and support that enables young people to conceptualize ways of harnessing the power of digital and participatory media to inform and mobilize their own communities. This includes vlogs, podcasts, social networks, live journaling/chats, online cinema, wikis, interactive games and digital content sharing. 
Open Youth Networks is part of the growing movement of on-line media artists, citizen journalist and activists. Open Youth Networks recognizes that in the 21st century, cultural production, and political engagement often co-exist in the lives of young people. OYN puts youth in charge of adapting their own native culture (genres, tools, languages and networking systems) to participate more effectively in democracy and media.

YOUTHLAB '07 ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

YouthLAB ( Youth Listening Across Borders) is where youth come together in virtual space to create on-line cinema, digital dialogue and global community. In YouthLAB ’07, teenagers from Barbados and the U.S. will work to collectively produce and share digital content through a website consisting of live journaling, video weblogs, and digital films. The new Apple iPhone is also a central part of the curriculum which focuses on youth-centered forms of creating and sharing media in the 21st century.
The only workshop of its kind in the country, YouthLAB '07 will take place at Columbia College's State-of-the-Art Interactive Media Facilities - July 23rd-August 3rd, 2007.
WHEN: JULY 23-AUGUST 3, ‘07. Mon-Fri, 10:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M
WHO: Youth (16-21) who are socially-conscious and interested in new technologies and media art. Previous experience in filmmaking is desirable but not required. However, should be comfortable working with computers.

YOUTHLAB PARTNERS
 



DISTRIBUTION: Participants will not only receive DVD copies of their work but will have many opportunities to present,screen distribute and talk about their projects throughout the year.  For example, the project will be featured at the 2008 DYI video Festival, Los Angeles - a festival of cutting edge on- line  digital video, sponsored by the Annenberg Center of Communication at USC.

Azureus will also be providing YouthLAB its own channel on Zudeo.com for high-resolution on-line distribution.   

We are currently inviting educators, researchers, secondary schools, youth media organizations and academic programs to become one of the growing list of Allies of Open Youth Networks.
 
What do Allies Do? (Any of the following)
 
Contribute space, equipment, and technical resources
Provide recommendations of staff, teachers, youth participants and
researchers
Sponsor scholarships for youth participants
Share and disseminate our research studies and program activities
Publish our weblink on your site
Serve on the Advisory Board
Propose new projects
Provide interns 
Officially acknowledge your support of this program to the public
 
Current Needs
We are currently looking for a University partner and host site to provide
the following for two weeks in July 2007:
 
A Macintosh computer lab consisting of at least five computers, high speed
connectivity, loaded with iLife 6, Final Cut Pro, and Adobe Creative Suite
(if possible).
 
Digital video camcorders, lights, microphones and other equipment necessary
for production.
 
Provide interns skilled in new media applications, race relations, history
of slave trade, tourism industry and the service economy, etc.
 
A graduate student interested in conducting independent research and/or
evaluation activities around the project
 
Contributions for low-income youth scholarships
 
Open Youth Networks Staff and Allies
Director: Mindy Faber (FaultlineMedia)
Operations: Mary Trimble
Caribbean Programs Director: Mela Berger
 
Allies:
Chicago Filmmakers
Street-level Youth Media
Listen Up, Inc.
USC Annenberg Center for Communication
Dr. Howard Rheingold and the Institute for Participatory Media Literacy
Caribbean Institute for Healing and Cultural Arts
Hank Grebe, Digital Animator
Courtney Utt, Lead Designer, VizMedia


http://weblogs.annenberg.edu/diy/http://zudeo.comhttp://web.mac.com/faultlinemedia/iWeb/FaultlineMedia/Welcome.htmlshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1shapeimage_1_link_2
YOUTH MEDIA
                                                                 Open Youth Networks
Youth members of OYN are 14-24 year olds from diverse backgrounds, regions, countries and experiences with powerful shared interests in social change, media art, technology and social networking platforms. Youth members can form Posses around common interests, causes and campaigns. Posses work together to design innovative art, network and technology-tooled solutions to problems that concern their own lives and the lives of youth today.