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Accomplishments

2007

  • Americorps VISTA Danielle Martin instructed a "Stories for Change" Digital Storytelling youth workshop which was hosted at Mandela and Camfield computer learning centers. Students came to learn the process of making a digital story to bring back and teach their peers.
  • Launch of the online social networking portal for community digital storytelling, StoriesForChange.net
  • Connect the disconnected conference was held at Northeastern University.
  • Birthname Productions - Digital HerStory Project where high-school girls were taught basic film/video techniques and editing.

2006

  • Awarded an AmeriCorps VISTA – Danielle Martin. An Americorps *Vista is a government program to help build capacity of non-profits and housing communities across the country. Danielle had instructed three digital stories workshops, and has helped launch StoriesForChange.net
  • The Imagine Mars Project: A National Arts, Science, and Technology Education Initiative (Imagine Mars) is an easily adaptable initiative designed to help America's youth appreciate their communities and focus on a positive future. This project focused on students researching, listening to lectures and doing some hands-on workshops facilitated by NASA. Upon completion of the research, students transformed 2,000 square feet into "Mars." Over 4,000 people visited the site located at New Academy Estates in Roxbury, MA.
  • Digital Storytelling Boot Camp; This two-day pre-conference session offered participants the opportunity to learn the intricacies of digital storytelling, and how to use digital storytelling at their Neighborhood Networks centers.
  • Hosted the Neighborhood Network National Conference in Boston, MA. MassIMPACT's conference theme was Uniting Neighbors, Strengthening Communities. Workshops focused on the goal of allowing community practitioner opportunities.
  • Co-sponsored the conference events which included a jazz night with guest speaker Kwame from The Apprentice season one, and a boat cruise on the Odyssey.
  • Collaborated with the Boston-based organizations Inquilinos Boricus En Accion(IBA), Arts Incentives Program (AIP) and Berklee college of music to form the Boston Music Consortium
  • Distribution of Special Edition Spring 2006 Newsletter.
  • Sponsored a Youth Audio Training Program.
  • Sponsored The Western Avenue Youth Summer Arts Program in Lowell, MA.

2005

  • MassIMPACT launches first Newsletter in March.
  • AIP/USES hosted a Digital Storytelling "Train-the-Trainer" workshop with staff in January
  • The "Learning Through Music and Technology" project which held two five week sessions all ages in Springfield. Demonstration session was offered on December 8, 2004 at Garena School. The goal for this program is to produce musical scores for Digital Stories. If you or anyone else may know is into music than this program is for you. Upcoming:Digital Story Workshops.
  • The beginning of South End Youth Music Consortium with IBA & Camfield Estates or Roxse Homes.
  • Art Center of Chelmsford and MassIMPACT developed a new cartooning program for children from Lowell and Chelmsford.  Diverse teams of young people were introduced to cartooning, storytelling and animation.  They created a comic book and learned to use digital tools to animate it.

2004

  • With guidance from Shawn Escoffery and Perryne Lee Poy of BCT Partners www.bctpartners.com, a management, technology and policy consulting services firm that works closely with HUD’s Neighborhood Networks, the MassIMPACT Board of Directors completed an intensive organizational development and strategic planning process.
  • In October, T.O.L.D. (Telling Our Legacies Digitally) held a Digital Storytelling Film Festival in Springfield, MA where twenty digital stories were shown. Over 100 people attended.
  • The Community Innovation Lab is a brand-new Center for Reflective Community Practice (within the Department of Urban Studies) project. On June 12th 2004 MassIMPACT participated in the first Spark Summit -- a one-day, high-energy brainstorming session that includes representatives from each sector -- at MIT. The overall goal of the day is to collaborate on the "invention" of imagined technologies that would address urban issues.
  • Lowell Digital Storytelling workshop was conducted on March 5th, 12th, and 19th at Lowell Telecommunications Corporation. Workshop was held for staff and volunteers of community-based organizations interested in bringing this method of personal expression and education to their constituencies.
  • Digital Storytelling for South Street Kids Mentoring Program was held at SMS and hosted by Digital Expression Group & Creative Narrations.
  • Digital Storytelling for Close To Home Non-Violence Program was held at Franklin Highlands and hosted by Digital Expression Group & Creative Narrations.
  • The Learning Community Group, MassIMPACT, and Access Holyoke launched a pilot program named "Learning Through Music and Technology" for students in Western Massachusetts.
  • USES/AIP and Camfield Estates conducted Digital Storytelling classes at Camfield Estates for seven students.
  • Digital Storytelling for Peace through Diversity was held at Franklin Highlands and hosted by
    Our Voices, Museum of Fine Arts, Cape Verde Community UNIDO, Viet Aid and Digital Expression Group .


2003

Through its partnerships with the Digital Expression Group (DEG), Learning Community Group (LCG), Mac Associates and Today’s Solutions Incorporated (TSI), MassIMPACT hosted a Digital Media Program for over 100 youth and adults. This innovative and well-received program utilized new neighborhood technology centers located in five HUD Demonstration-Disposition housing developments in the Lower Roxbury and Dorchester sections of Boston. Specifically, the five technology center sites were located in the housing developments at Camfield Estates, Franklin Highlands, Grove Hall, Sonoma-Maple-Schyller and Washington Heights.

The Digital Media Program focused on Digital Music, Digital Storytelling and Music Video Creation. Program participants learned and utilized state-of-the-art music and storytelling software applications such as Mad Player, Fruity Loops, Acid Pro, PhotoShop, Video Factory and Premiere.

A sample of program highlights are provided below.

  • Employment Training program for 20 students at two technology center sites.
  • Continuation of the CISCO Certified Network Administrator Training Program for 12 adults.
  • Participation of residents from seven housing developments and members from the surrounding communities.
  • Involvement of Summer Youth Workers representing a diverse group of youth with technology skills, experience and interests.
  • Development of 20 music compositions, 27 digital stories and one music video.
  • All participants developed an employment portfolio consisting of a resume, cover letter, references and, in some cases, personal essay.
  • Featured the work of three of the five technology centers through the Summer 2003 Showcase series.
  • Conducted a Summer 2003 Program Graduation event for participants who completed all aspects of the program.
  • Participated in the Cyber Arts Festival and facilitated the involvement of youth from Camfield Estates and students at the Karen Gibbs School.
  • Provided a Digital Storytelling Presentation at the Cyber Arts Festival.
  • Conducted the initial MassIMPACT Consortium presentation and meeting with invited CTC and NTC leadership across Massachusetts and the HUD Region One Neighborhood Networks office.
  • Formally participated in the Cyber Arts Festival Committee planning activities at MIT.
  • Achieved full activation of the MassI.M.P.A.C.T. Wireless Cloud at Camfield Estates. (Note: Article about the Wireless Cloud at Camfield Estates was published in CNN Tech News.)
  • Conducted a four-part weekend Digital Storytelling Workshop for 5th grade students at Quincy E. Dickerman Elementary School in collaboration with MassHousing STARR Mentoring Program.
  • Produced a rap video with youth at the Franklin Highlands Tech Center.
  • Created web-sites for all HUD Neighborhood Technology Centers in Boston.
  • Conducted its first Digital Storytelling “Train the Trainers” Workshop in Massachusetts for producing certified digital storytelling ethnic minority instructors. This workshop represented a collaboration with Creative Narrations and the Center for Reflective Community Practice.

2002

  • Commenced planning and design of the “Wireless Cloud” internet access network for use by 102 families/households at Camfield Estates.
  • Facilitated purchase of low-cost wireless cards to participating households at Camfield Estates.
  • Provided free wireless cards to elderly and ADA residents at Camfield Estates.
  • Collaborated with WayneandWax.org, a Harvard-based project, to create web designs and digital music for secondary school use.
  • Facilitated a collaborative effort between youth in Jamaica and Camfield Estates to integrate cultural sounds and influences into music mixing and production.
  • Worked with Skytel.com, a Cambridge-based firm that works exclusively with non-profit organizations, to provide web-design (with open source code) and blogging (digital music) with emphasis on low cost and high functionality.
Improving People's Access to Computer Technology © Copyright 2003 Mass IMPACT. All rights reserved. No portion may be copied or duplicated without written permission.

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