Reporter Clem Richardson spoke with D.C. Vito, Katherine Fry and Emily Long about LAMPcamp and why media literacy is so important. Be sure to check out the article online, or in the print edition of today’s paper!
Posts Tagged ‘The LAMP’
Best Desserts: A Benefit for The LAMP
Monday, May 24th, 2010
On Wednesday, June 9, join The LAMP and Alejandra Ramos of Always Order Dessert at the Double Windsor bar in Brooklyn for a delicious dessert contest between New York City’s hottest food bloggers before a panel of celebrity judges…and you! Participants include Rachel of O Magazine, Katy at Sugarlaws, Anna at Very Small Anna, Jen from Local Appetite, author Giulia Melucci from I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti, James Briscione from Food Network’s Chopped, Rebecca from Working Class Foodies, Esther of Ambitious Delicious(ness), Divya Gugnani from Behind the Burner and Emily from (non) adventures of an amateur. Tickets are $20 online or $25 at the door, and get you a tasting plate of each dessert, one raffle ticket and exclusive drink specials. All proceeds benefit The LAMP–buy your tickets today!
Spotlight: Cristina Stoll, Print Designer for The LAMP
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
Photo by George Baier
This month we put the Spotlight on Cristina Stoll who works on print and graphic design for The LAMP. She has worked on a wide range of material with us, including the redesign of our LAMPlit resource guides, our own line of Flip cameras and a number of other items used internally and for promotion. Find out what she has to say about her work in publishing, her background in German and what she thinks every aspiring media professional should learn.
How did you get interested in the publishing and print media industry? My interest developed in high school. I spent many hours absorbed in the production work of the school newspaper and yearbook. In all cases, I was interested in the technical aspects of publishing — software, workflow, and output. This led me to Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where I studied print media as an undergraduate student. At RIT, I focused on hands-on, collaborative projects outside of the classroom to determine where I wanted to steer my career post-university. After graduation, I received a very unique position in book publishing at Penguin Group (USA) in New York.
As a pre-press associate for the Penguin Group, what is a typical day like for you? There is no such thing as a typical day. Daily, I am expected to troubleshoot and/or consult on technical issues as they arise — so, I never know what exactly is on my plate until the minute it happens. However, I do try to limit this to 50% of my day. The other half, I focus on development projects, which range from assessing the creative workflow to researching new publishing technology to teaching group training courses. My department is very small and young, two people under the age of 26, but developing at a rapid pace.
When someone approaches you about design or layout, what are some of the first things you consider as you start working? I’m not a trained designer, so my work is strictly influenced by the content and the people publishing it. When I work on projects for The LAMP, I focus on clean, simple design in which the content can be easily understood and re-purposed.
You also have a strong background in German language and culture. What got you interested in German? Have you found any major differences in working for a German company versus an American company? I am a second generation German-American, so I grew up around German culture and language. While at RIT, I was able to learn the language more in-depth through minor studies and a study-abroad experience in Marburg, Germany. I also took the opportunity to work as a co-op student at Fogra in Munich. This experience greatly influenced the way in which I work today at Penguin Group. At Fogra, people were diligent in their work and less focused on the glamour. You were respected for the work you contributed and your expertise. I enjoyed working in this atmosphere. American work culture is very different, and in many cases, the exact opposite of this. However, I am glad to work for a more progressive company within a small department that understands this philosophy.
How did you come to be interested in media literacy? I first became interested in media literacy in Rochester, New York where I involved in some community volunteer projects. The interest evolved once I began working in publishing and became familiar with The LAMP’s work.
What part of your work do you enjoy most? I enjoy helping people. Finding new and effective ways to teach creative professionals is always challenging, but their appreciation and respect makes it worth it. The designers that I support daily in the Young Readers division are progressive and open to workflow changes that help their creative process.
What advice would you offer someone who is interested in pursuing a career in print media? I would recommend having a technical background, to some degree, before entering the industry. This really helps you understand where the industry is going and how to evolve with it.
Give the gift of media literacy in 2010!
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
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See LAMP students in action! Click the image above for a video about our first-ever summer program, LAMPcamp, and browse student work. |
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For Immediate Release: Makers of Flip Video Camcorder Partner with The LAMP
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
Makers of Flip Video Camcorder Partner with The LAMP (Learning About Multimedia Project)
Flip Video Spotlight Program matches camcorder donations to enterprising non-profit media education organization in New York City
NEW YORK, NY: Pure Digital Technologies, Inc., the makers of America’s best-selling camcorder, Flip Video, have invited The LAMP (Learning About Multimedia Project) to participate in the Flip Video Spotlight Program. The program, announced at the Clinton Global Initiative in September 2007, aims to put one million Flip Video Camcorders into the hands of qualified non-profit organizations over five years. Flip Video Spotlight works directly with non-profit organizations through a matching program: for every 60 minute Ultra camcorder the non-profit purchases, Flip Video Spotlight will donate one to the organization. Each kit costs $150. As part of the matching program, The LAMP joins other prominent organizations such as Kiva, American Red Cross, PBS, National Wildlife Federation and Livestrong.
“This is an incredible opportunity for The LAMP because our most popular and engaging media education workshops require video cameras,” says D.C. Vito, Executive Director of the LAMP. “Initiatives like the Flip Video Spotlight Program enable us to continue bringing basic media education training for free to young people, parents and teachers throughout New York City. We’re so proud to have Pure Digital support our efforts to help people make smart choices in a media-saturated world.” LAMP students use video to make their own news broadcasts, commercials, family video albums, documentaries and more. By creating and editing their own material, students explore how and why different media messages are constructed. They also gain workforce development skills to help them join the modern marketplace, which is increasingly dependent upon technology.
With over 1200 approved partners to date, Flip Video Spotlight is steadily expanding its support of non-profit organizations such as The LAMP. “We want to make sure that all qualified non-profit and charitable organizations have affordable access to video equipment and the means to tell their story. We feel that the small size, low price point, high quality, and onboard sharing software make it the ideal companion to any organization’s communications strategy,” says Basho Mosko, the Flip Video Spotlight Program Manager.
Companies, foundations or individuals are also encouraged to participate and can find out more at the Flip Video Spotlight website, www.flipvideospotlight.com.
Groups or individuals interested in sponsoring Flip Video Spotlight Kits should contact The LAMP at info@thelampnyc.org. More information about The LAMP is available online at http://www.thelampnyc.org.
About The LAMP:
The LAMP (Learning About Multimedia Project), founded in 2007, is a certified non-profit organization which strives to provide critical media literacy skills to the inter-related groups of youths, their parents and educators throughout New York City. Media literacy workshops offered by The LAMP demystify the constant flow of media these three groups encounter, bridge the gap between generations, and provide workforce development skills.
Contact:
Basho Mosko, Program Manager
Flip Video Spotlight
inquiries@flipvideospotlight.com
Emily Long, Communications Director
The LAMP
718-789-8170
info@thelampnyc.org
http://www.thelampnyc.org
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Uncle Sam Lights the LAMP!
Monday, January 12th, 2009
The LAMP has hit a significant milestone, and is now officially registered with the IRS as a 501(c)3 organization! We’re still fiscally sponsored by Fund for the City of New York, but our new status gives us added legitimacy in the non-profit world. It means that all donations are tax-deductible–even the ones that aren’t addressed to the Fund. We also get discounts on bulk mailing, we’re exempt from federal and state income taxes, and we’re eligible for more grants.
Thanks for your support as we continue to grow!
Announcing November’s Freelight Winner!
Tuesday, November 25th, 2008
Congratulations to Jacqueline Berry, the winner of November’s Freelight giveaway item: Women Empowered by Phil Borges! Read below for her inspiring story about empowerment.
And remember, if you want the chance to win great free stuff every month, you have to sign up for our newsletter! You’ll also get insider news from the LAMP about workshops and events. Signing up is free and easy–just use the “Newsletter Signup” box in the left column.
Jackie’s Story
“I was empowered when I went from a stay at home single parent, watching TV, to an elected member of the Community Education Council of School District 7. I was encouraged to run by a parent coordinator, and was surprised when I won. Once a member, I was invited to meetings, and began attending any education meeting that I could find. From every meeting I would take home written material and surf on the Internet for added information.
When I discovered I could access the school budget of my son’s school, I went to a meeting of PTA presidents, and made sure that each president knew how to access their school’s information on the Internet. Many of the presidents did not know they could do this.
My school district is designated by the NY Dept of Ed. as District In Need of Improvement. All the schools are eligible for federal Title 1 Funding because of the poverty level. Many of the principals look upon the parents as poor and uneducated, not considered as partners in student achievement and improvement of schools.
However, what a difference a title makes. When I go to a school and introduce myself as Jacqueline Berry, Community Education Council Member, the principal invites me into their office, makes coffee for me, and tells me what’s going on in their school. This has empowered me, and motivated me, to work for parents and students in my school district.”
Jacqueline Berry, Parent
Community Education Council, District 7
The LAMPPost wordle cloud
Friday, September 26th, 2008
Finally was able to make our own Wordle. I took our rss feed and created this interesting tag cloud of our most commonly used terms. This is what we got.
I think it’s pretty cool because it grabs my imagination. (I have to confess that it has the word “media” so prominently in the middle is somewhat validating)
Would love to hear what you guys think!
One Web Day press release
Monday, September 15th, 2008
For Immediate Release: September 15, 2008
Contact: Anne Singer, 202-271-4679 or Susan Crawford, 202-669-0430
*OneWebDay Brings Internet Visionaries to New York City*
*Workshops for the Public, a Teach-in for Seniors and a Rally Starring Hon.
Gale Brewer, Sree Sreenivasan, Craig Newmark, John Perry Barlow, Tim
Westergren, Lawrence Lessig *
*and Others*
New York, NY – On the third annual “Earth Day for the Internet”, communities
across the country are holding events to learn about and advocate for that
marvel of modern infrastructure, the Internet. It happens in the United
States and around the world on OneWebDay, Monday, September 22, 2008, with
New York City, where it launched three years ago, the epicenter of this
year’s celebration.
“Earth Day was the model when I founded OneWebDay in 2006,” says Susan
Crawford, a professor of law specializing in Internet issues at the
University of Michigan. ”In 1969, one man asked the people to do what their
elected representatives would not: take the future of the environment into
their own hands.” According to Crawford, “people’s lives now are as
dependent on the Internet as they are on the basics like roads, energy
supplies and running water. We can no longer take that for granted, and we
must advocate for the Internet politically, and support its vitality
personally.”
The theme of this year’s OneWebDay is online participation in democracy,
coinciding with the U.S. elections, and that will be the central focus of
events in Washington, DC.
The online hub for OneWebDay 2008 is www.onewebday.org, but New York hosts
the biggest real world events on September 20 and 22, including a cyber-star
studded rally where audience members will text questions to the moderator.
All events are free and open to the public.
*New York City Events*
* *
*(1) WHAT*: Rally for the Internet Main Event
*WHEN*: Monday, September 22, 11:45 A.M. – 2 P.M.
*WHERE:* Washington Square Park Teen Plaza, W. 4th St. @ University Pl.
*WHO*: Susan Crawford, Founder of OneWebDay;
Hon. Gale A. Brewer, New York City Council;
Sree Sreenivasan, Columbia Journalism and WNBC-TV;
Tim Westergren, founder of Pandora free Internet radio;
Lawrence Lessig, Stanford Law and author of “Code V.2″;
Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist;
Dharma Dailey, Research Director at Ethos Wireless consulting;
John Perry Barlow, founder of Electronic Frontier Foundation;
Andrew Baron, producer at Rocketboom video news blog;
Samuel J. Klein, Director of Community Content at One Laptop Per Child;
others TBA.
*Details at:* http://www.onewebday.org/base/index.php/New_York
*(2) WHAT*: Seniors Rally for Digital Inclusion, City Hall
*WHEN*: Monday, September 22, 11 A.M.
*WHERE*: New York City Hall, 260 Broadway, New York, NY 10007
*WHO*: Older Adults Technology Services (OATS)
*Details at:* http://www.onewebday.org/base/index.php/New_York
* *
*(3) WHAT*: Workshops on E-activism, E-journalism, E-citizenship
*WHEN*: Saturday, September 20, 2-4 P.M.
*WHERE*: NYU’s Courant Institute, 251 Mercer @ West 4th St., Rooms TBA
*WHO*: Katherine Fry, The LAMP, NYC – media literacy; Charles Lenchner,
DemocracyInAction – tools for nonprofits; Grassroots.org – easy website
building for nonprofits; NYC Wireless – build your own router, etc.; Fred
Benenson, Creative Commons; Dean Jansen, Open Video; Mike Verrilli -
Wikipedia; Mike Meyers – citizen journalism; Kevin Lee – SEO/Google Grants.
*Details at:*
http://www.onewebday.org/base/index.php/2008_Workshops_Planning
*(4) WHAT*: Tech Demos for Online Democratic Participation
*WHEN*: Saturday, September 20, 7-9 P.M.
*WHERE*: NYU’s Courant Institute, 251 Mercer, @ West 4th St., Room #101
*WHO*: Matt Cooperrider and other Grassroots Web experts
*Details at:* http://web.meetup.com/27/calendar/8642107/
*****
OneWebDay, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization. It has a Board made up of
online luminaries (Doc Searls, David Weinberger, David Isenberg, Mary
Hodder), business people (Kaarli Tasso, Allison Fine, David Johnson, Rick
Whitt), a NYC PR person (Renee Edelman, Edelman), and a former state AG (Jim
Tierney, Maine). Its president is Susan Crawford, a professor at the
University of Michigan Law School. She is committed to working on this
holiday for the next seven years.
