It’s amazing what a little education can do for a young mind ready to learn. That’s the philosophy that Roy Gibson, executive director of Youth Media Minds of America believes, and the organization puts that theory into practice every day. YMMA teaches young people skills in media technology to help prepare them for the ever-changing and competitive media industry.
“[We] want to challenge our youth to stay in school and give [them] an opportunity that wouldn’t necessarily be given to young folks at such an early age,” he says.
YMMA will be holding a FREE open house to recruit and register interested teens and volunteer instructors for the Fall Module on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Here’s how the YMMA could help you shape your future:
It Can Become a Career
“I think that a lot of our youth don’t really understand the seriousness of how far you can go in media, and they don’t understand how much hard work there is in media and [how] very rewarding it can be. Kids are doing a lot of different things at home, [and] they’re very aware of what technology is about in media, but they’re not aware that it’s a career to be pursued.”
Specialize in More Than One Discipline
“These kids are learning how to make this equipment work to their advantage. You run into people in the industry who are specialized and [they can] do video but don’t get involved in audio or vice versa. A lot of major networks are looking for people who have that cross training. Our kids learn everything.”
Education — All Education — is More Important Than Ever
“You have to have an education; 50–70 percent of high school students in Georgia are dropping out. You have to read, [but] a lot of our youth don’t want to read and they don’t want to write. But journalism and media go hand in hand. It’s a lot of hard work, in this industry. If you keep pursuing what it is that you want to do, you’ll find that it’s going to be rewarding in the end.” –todd williams
