Communities Speak
San Diego
Project Title: Tu Voz! Using Video As a Tool for Change
Sponsor: San Diego Media Arts Center
Project Director: Ethan van Thillo
At-risk high school students in northern San Diego County, many from migrant families, created more than 60 videos on issues of importance to their lives as part of “Tu Voz.” The videos tell of U.S. Marine Jesus Suarez del Solar, who died during the Iraq war; of Sherman Heights residents as they respond to development pressures and rising rents; and of one immigrant group’s efforts to get an ambulance donated to its home town in Mexico. “We wanted young people to see that they could play a direct role in shaping their communities by using video as a tool for change,” said Project Director Ethan Van Thillo, executive director of Media Arts Center, San Diego. The videos have been broadcast on television and shown to various schools and community groups.
Young participants who took part in focus groups said overwhelmingly that the project increased their sense of pride in their family background and gave them technical skills they could use in the future. Organizations involved in the programs said that the project gave participants critical thinking skills and a sense of empowerment.
For information about the project, visit http://www.mediaartscenter.org/.
Read two articles about project in the "San Diego Union Tribune:"