Wide Angle Youth Media Inc

THROUGH MEDIA ARTS EDUCATION, WAYM CULTIVATES AND AMPLIFIES THE VOICES OF BALTIMORE YOUTH TO ENGAGE AUDIENCES ACROSS GENERATIONAL, CULTURAL, AND SOCIAL DIVIDES. WAYM PROGRAMS INSPIRE CREATIVITY AND INSTILL CONFIDENCE IN YOUNG PEOPLE, EMPOWERING THEM WITH SKILLS TO NAVIGATE SCHOOL, CAREER AND LIFE.

SEE SCHEDULE OWIDE ANGLE YOUTH MEDIA ("WAYM") WAS FORMED AS A NONPROFIT CORPORATION UNDER SECTION 501 (C)(3) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986, UNDER THE LAWS OF MARYLAND ON OCTOBER 30, 2000. THROUGH MEDIA ARTS EDUCATION, WAYM CULTIVATES AND AMPLIFIES THE VOICES OF BALTIMORE YOUTH TO ENGAGE AUDIENCES ACROSS GENERATIONAL, CULTURAL, AND SOCIAL DIVIDES. WAYM PROGRAMS INSPIRE CREATIVITY AND INSTILL CONFIDENCE IN YOUNG PEOPLE, EMPOWERING THEM WITH SKILLS TO NAVIGATE SCHOOL, CAREER AND LIFE. WAYM DELIVERS FREE AND ACCESSIBLE IN AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME CREATIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING TO MORE THAN 400 YOUNG PEOPLE AGES 10-24 EACH YEAR. IN FY22, WAYM SERVED 625 YOUTH. WAYM YOUTH ARE ENGAGED AS ARTISTS, CHANGEMAKERS AND LEADERS AS THEY DEVELOP PROJECTS ABOUT IMPORTANT SOCIAL ISSUES. AT THE SAME TIME, THIS YEAR PROGRAMS SHIFTED THEIR FOCUS TO MORE PERSONAL PROJECTS FOR STUDENT INDIVIDUAL ENGAGEMENT. ACROSS WORKSHOPS, ALL PROGRAMS AIMED TO PROVIDE AN IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT THAT BUILDS ACADEMIC AND WORKFORCE - READINESS SKILLS. WAYM PROGRAMS CONTINUED TO PROVIDE IMPORTANT SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS FOR PARTICIPANTS DURING COVID-19. WAYM'S CURRICULUM IS CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH NATIONAL MEDIA ARTS STANDARDS, MSDE ARTS STANDARDS AND INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION (ISTE) STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS. STEAM- FOCUSED LEARNING HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY COMPATIBLE IN MEDIA EDUCATION, WITH BOTH DISCIPLINES INTEGRATING INVESTIGATIVE, HANDS- ON, AND PROJECT-BASED LEARNING THAT IS ROOTED IN REAL LIFE SKILLS.SINCE THE ORGANIZATION'S FOUNDING IN 2000, WAYM HAS ENGAGED OVER 7,270+ BALTIMORE CITY YOUTH WHO HAVE PRODUCED HUNDREDS OF VIDEOS ABOUT ISSUES SUCH AS YOUTH IDENTITY, SAFETY, HEALTH, MEDIA LITERACY, AND RACIAL JUSTICE. FY22 PROJECTS INCLUDED 461 FINAL VIDEO, PHOTOGRAPHY, DESIGN, ACTING PROJECTS AND VIRTUAL EVENTS. AUDIENCE MEMBERS OF WAYM YOUTH-PRODUCED MEDIA CONTINUED TO GROW THROUGH ONLINE ENGAGEMENT, MEDIA PUBLICATIONS, AND RADIO DISTRIBUTION, WITH OVER ESTIMATED FY22 1,068,015 LIVE AND VIRTUAL AUDIENCE MEMBERS.WAYM IMPLEMENTS A PATHWAY OF FREE PROGRAMMING THAT STARTS WITH INTRODUCTORY COMMUNITYWORKSHOPS AND LEADS TO ADVANCED WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TRAINING. PROGRAMS STRUCTURES VARIED BASED ON YOUTH NEEDS, TO INCLUDE IN-PERSON, HYBRID AND FULLY VIRTUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN FY22: COMMUNITY VOICES IS A PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH (AGES 10-20) WITH CUSTOM INTRODUCTORY MEDIA WORKSHOPS, TAILORED TO THE NEEDS OF CITY SCHOOLS AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. BALTIMORE SPEAKS OUT IS A FREE INTRODUCTORY MEDIA MAKING AND CREATIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL SITES.HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS ARE INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED MEDIA PRODUCTION PROGRAMS FOR BALTIMORE CITY HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN TRAINING AND DEVELOP CRITICAL THINKING, RESEARCH SKILLS, STORYTELLING AND CREATIVE SKILLS BY PRODUCING SHORT ORIGINAL VIDEOS AND DESIGN CAMPAIGNS THAT ARE DISTRIBUTED NATIONALLY.MEDIAWORKS IS AN INTENSIVE SUMMER WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAM RUN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOUTHWORKS. YOUTH (AGES 14-24) ARE EMPLOYED THROUGH THE BUILD YOUR BRAND INITIATIVE AND EXTERNSHIP PLACEMENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN MEDIA ARTS AND COLLEGE AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING.WIDE ANGLE YOUTH APPRENTICESHIPS ALLOW YOUTH (AGES 18-24) WHO HAVE SHOWN INCREASING SKILL GROWTH AND ENGAGEMENT IN WIDE ANGLE PROGRAMMING THE OPTION TO EARN HOURLY WAGES AND PARTICIPATE IN EITHER MEDIA PRODUCTION OR SOCIAL DESIGN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TRACKS. ADVANCED APPRENTICES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSITION TO PART-TIME AND FULL-TIME POSITIONS ON WIDE ANGLE STAFF.WIDE ANGLE PRODUCTIONS, WAYM'S SOCIAL ENTERPRISE PROGRAM, PROVIDES MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION SERVICES FOR NONPROFITS, FOUNDATIONS, AND CORPORATIONS IN THE BALTIMORE REGION WHILE ALSO CREATING MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT FOR YOUTH APPRENTICES. WIDE ANGLE STAFF ACT AS PROJECT MANAGERS, MENTORING APPRENTICES THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AND ENSURING THAT THE CLIENT RECEIVES A PROFESSIONAL QUALITY MEDIA PRODUCT. PRODUCTION WORK SERVES AS A SOURCE OF SELF-SUSTAINING INCOME FOR WIDE ANGLE YOUTH MEDIA TO SUPPORT ITS CORE PROGRAMS, WHILE ALSO PROVIDING AFFORDABLE MEDIA SOLUTIONS FOR CLIENTS. CLIENTS IN FY22 INCLUDED: ABELL FOUNDATION, ANNIE E. CASEY FOUNDATION, BALTIMORE HOMECOMING, MARYLAND STATE ARTS COUNCIL, ONE LOVE FOUNDATION, UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL MARYLAND AND MANY OTHERS. EXAMPLES OF RECENT WORK CAN BE SEEN AT WWW.VIMEO.COM/WIDEPRODUCTIONS.COVID-19 AND FY22 PROGRAMS: IN ADDITION TO PROGRAM TRANSITIONS, WIDE ANGLE'S EXPANDED EMERGENCY FUND PROVIDED VULNERABLE STUDENTS, ALUMNI AND STAFF WITH NEEDED SUPPORT FOR RENT, GROCERIES, TECHNOLOGY ACCESS AND EDUCATIONAL NEEDS, AS MANY LOST ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INCOME DURING THE PANDEMIC. THE ORGANIZATION'S GOALS SINCE THE START OF THE COVID-19 HAVE BEEN TO 1) CONTINUE PROVIDING ARTISTIC AND EDUCATIONAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT, 2) STRENGTHEN CONNECTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUTH, 3) PRIORITIZE PAID OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND APPRENTICE PARTICIPANTS, WHO RELY UPON PAYMENT FROM WIDE ANGLE, AND 4) TO MOVE TOWARDS BEING AN INTENTIONALLY ANTI-RACIST, ANTI-OPPRESSION ORGANIZATION BY INTEGRATING EQUITABLE AND ANTI-RACIST PRACTICES AND POLICIES AT ALL LEVELS OF THE ORGANIZATION. FY22 PARTICIPANTS REFLECT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF BALTIMORE CITY. OF THOSE WHO SHARED THEIR DEMOGRAPHICS, 76% BLACK, 3% MULTIRACIAL, 15% CAUCASIAN, 4% HISPANIC, 1% ASIAN AND 1% AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKAN NATIVE. 81% OF THOSE WITH DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION REPORTED SELF-IDENTIFIED AS LOW INCOME, ATTENDED TITLE 1 SCHOOLS AND/OR RESIDED IN ZIP CODES WITH LOW MEDIAN INCOMES IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE ORGANIZATION'S GOAL TO ALLOCATE ITS RESOURCES TO HISTORICALLY MINORITIZED COMMUNITIES. (PLEASE NOTE - AS WAYM MOVES TOWARDS MORE EQUITABLE PRACTICES, DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION IS NOT REQUIRED FOR YOUTH TO PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAMS).IN THE COMING YEAR, WIDE ANGLE WILL CONTINUE TO LEVERAGE ITS RESOURCES TO UPLIFT YOUTH VOICES; PROVIDE MEDIA ENGAGEMENT TO UNDER-INVESTED COMMUNITIES; HOLISTICALLY ENGAGE YOUTH; BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS, ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERS, AND FEE-FOR-SERVICE CLIENTS; AND BROADEN ITS IMPACT THROUGH PROGRAMMING AND MORE INTENTIONAL SYSTEMS CHANGE WORK.