Posts Tagged ‘The LAMP’

Give the gift of media literacy in 2010!

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

Media literacy can change lives.
Each week, the average youth watches a full 24 hours of television. Recent studies show that without skills to think critically about media like TV, young people are more likely to smoke, become obese and do worse in school. When you donate to The LAMP, you invest in our programs bringing free media literacy training to hundreds of New York City youth, parents and educators.

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“I hope we have more awesome experiences like this!”

Digital Remix students“This workshop was an awesome experience because we learned how to use iMovie and how to edit commercials…
We learned how to use sound, text, pictures, movies, and special effects on iMovie to create a remix of the commercials. [LAMP Education Director] Katherine [Fry] was talking about a special program called The LAMP (Learning About Multimedia Project) where she taught us about how commercials have hidden messages and how some can lie to persuade people to buy their product…I thank everyone in MOUSE Sqaud for an awesome experience on that day. I hope we have more awesome experiences like this!”


–Yvette, age 19, Queens; student of The LAMP’s “Digital Remix” workshop sponsored by MOUSE

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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!

Holiday greetings from Doc and D.C.

Wednesday, December 10th, 2008

Click here to donate online.

Happy Holidays from the LAMP!

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.

The LAMP’s September Illuminations

Sunday, September 7th, 2008

If you are unable to view this message
please click here or
visit http://www.thelampnyc.org/mail

ILLUMINATIONS: SEPTEMBER 2008

Headlight

~the latest news from The LAMP~

We’ve been busy here at the LAMP! On August 9, we joined Microsoft, Google, Symantec and others at the first-ever NYCyberSafety Summit at City Hall, hosted by Speaker Christine Quinn (our own D.C. Vito is on her right in the photo above). The LAMP was honored to be the only local non-profit organization invited to the event. We met many new people from all over New York City who expressed a strong interest in scheduling a workshop with us, and who wanted to learn more about they can become more media literate. As many of you already know, few things make the LAMP shine brighter than new opportunities to promote media literacy!

The LAMP also appeared at Cradle to College, an event sponsored by State Senator Eric Adams. Many organizations came together to help people learn more about how they can get involved in their communities, and how they can prepare themselves for a college education. Executive Director D.C. Vito and veteran LAMP facilitator Alejandra Ramos also gave a presentation to teens on Cyber Wellness (photo below).

The LAMP is thrilled to have made it to the top ten list of finalists for Artisan Talent’s “Match That Gives Back” Creative Competition. While we didn’t make it to the final three, we were ecstatic to have been invited to compete. Our proposal would have helped bring media literacy into the daily lives of people throughout the city, and even though we did not advance in the competition, we still intend to bring the idea to life.

Look out for LAMPLit! We are putting the finishing touches on our very first resource guide, and we have plans for many more LAMPLit resource guides. Engaging, concise and fun, LAMPLit guides will help you make smart choices in a digital world, and can be downloaded for free from our website. We have several ideas for future LAMPLit guides, but please feel free to send us an email and let us know if you have a particular topic you’d like us to cover. Stay tuned to our blog to find out when guides become available.

If you’re interested in getting involved with the LAMP, why not volunteer? Our rapid growth means that we are needing more help and can use people to assist in classrooms, help out at events, edit videos, design graphics and more. To find out more, send us an email explaining what you’d like to do, how much time you can give us and your age.

Spotlight

~Amanda Daly~

Occupation: Director of Education at the Center for the Urban Environment (CUE).

Favorite websites:
Grist, New York Times, greenopolis.com.

Favorite books:Devil in the White City, My Antonia, Time Traveler’s Wife.

How does media literacy tie in to your work at CUE? At the Center, our focus is to educate people about their local built and
natural environment. Media literacy is a vehicle which supports this exploration and helps us further our mission in a creative way.

As an educator, how do you see media being used in schools?Young people are well versed in certain areas of media and I believe are less literate in others. As access to media increases, education about how to use media is a necessity. Schools presently have the opportunity to work with organizations like LAMP to explore the messages and impact media have on education and young people. This is an opportunity that
should not be missed and can be as important as science and math literacy.

Gaslight

~a look back at this month in media history~

September 14, 1741: Composer George Frederick Handel finished Messiah after working on it nonstop for 23 days. Its Hallelujah chorus remains one of the most recognizable songs in classical music.

September 25, 1690: The first American newspaper was published. A single edition of Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick
appeared in Boston, however, British authorities considered the newspaper offensive and ordered its immediate suppression.

September 26, 1960: The first-ever televised presidential debate occurred between presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. Many who watched were inclined to say Kennedy ‘won’ the debate, while those who listened only to the radio thought Nixon did better. Nixon, who declined to use makeup, appeared somewhat haggard looking on TV in contrast to Kennedy.

The LAMP

Shining light on our multimedia lives

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The LAMP at NYCyberSafety Summit 2008

Thursday, August 7th, 2008

We’ve just received an invitation to host a table at Speaker Christine Quinn’s NYCyberSafety Summit at City Hall. The event will be this Saturday, August 9, and begins at 10am with speakers including our friend Rachel Dretzin, producer, writer and director of the PBS Frontline documentary, Growing Up Online. There will also be workshops for adults, educators and young people, covering topics such as online gang recruitment, how to integrate the Internet into the classroom, Internet safety laws and more. The LAMP will be side-by-side with Microsoft, Google, Symantec and other industry leaders helping families and educators learn how to have a safe and positive experience online. Click here for the flyer with more information, and we hope to see you on Saturday!

The LAMP’s August Illuminations

Friday, August 1st, 2008

If you are unable to view this message
please click here or
visit http://www.thelampnyc.org/mail

ILLUMINATIONS: AUGUST 2008

Headlight

~the latest news from The LAMP~

Thanks to everyone who came out July 12 for our “First Annual Family Media Scavenger Hunt” at Prospect Park! Participants were able to explore their neighborhood from a new angle, and learned a lot about the media we see every day. Afterwards, families and volunteers enjoyed lunch donated by Red Hook’s Fairway Market and Dulcinea Media while we processed what was discovered. A raffle with prizes from TekServe, Zipcar, Park Slope Parents, Brooklyn Cyclones and Park Slope’s SCORE! gave some lucky families more than just a heightened awareness of their neighborhood media. Click here for pictures!

The LAMP is thrilled to have made it to the top ten list of finalists for Artisan Talent’s “Match That Gives Back” Creative Competition. The winner will be announced in the fall, and will receive $20,000 in creative services. Our proposal would help bring media literacy into the daily lives of people throughout the city. Cross your fingers, and we’ll keep you posted.

The LAMP is now on Twitter! Find out when a new blog entry has been posted and stay up to date on all the news by following our feed with username thelampnyc. Don’t forget about our Facebook page and be sure to check out the new student videos on our YouTube channel.

Summers are usually slow, right? Not for us! We’ve been busy finalizing class plans with the Center for the Urban Environment, the Prospect Park YMCA and P.S. 107 in Windsor Terrace, while also aggressively seeking new partnerships and fundraising opportunities that will help us grow. If that weren’t enough, we’re also beginning to plan our first benefit, plus a few other surprises. Keep a lookout on our website for breaking news!

If you’re interested in getting involved with the LAMP, why not volunteer? Our rapid growth means that we are needing more help and can use people to assist in classrooms, help out at events, edit videos, design graphics and more. To find out more, send us an email explaining what you’d like to do, how much time you can give us and your age.

Spotlight

~Susan Fox, ready for Halloween~

Occupation: Small business owner (Park Slope Parents), market research consultant and part-time college professor.

Family: Married with two daughters aged 6 1/2 and 4 years old.
Favorite websites:
slacker.com, veromi.net for finding people.

How did your business, Park Slope Parents, get started? Honestly, I started Park Slope Parents because I kept seeing
supersaucers out on the street as trash. I thought to myself, “We need to be
able to have a place online to be able to share parenting ideas and swap
stuff.” And so it started July 8th, 2002.

What is your favorite thing about running PSP? The most gratifying part is knowing that people have gotten through some tough parenting experiences with the help of their online neighbors. Parenting can feel lonely sometimes, but having a sounding board can help lighten the load.

How do you and your family explore new media?We DVR a lot of the things that are on at night and watch them together. I also go through magazines with the kids and ask them, “What are they really trying to sell?” This helps them understand the lure of advertising — that it attempts to fill an internal need (love, respect, satisfaction) that products really cannot fulfill.

Gaslight

~a look back at this month in media history~

August 1, 1981: MTV premiered at 12:01am.

August 15, 1969: Woodstock began in a field near Yasgur’s Farm at Bethel, New York. The three-day concert featured 24 bands and drew a
crowd of more than 300,000 young people. The event came to symbolize the counter-culture movement of the 60’s.

August 28, 1963: Over 250,000 people took part in the March on Washington, where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

As a non-profit grassroots organization, your support is essential for the LAMP to continue.  When you make a tax-deductible donation to the LAMP, you are helping us to cover basic costs so that we can continue to offer our workshops at no cost to participants.  Checks can be made out to “FCNY/The LAMP,” and thank you for your contribution.

The LAMP

Shining light on our multimedia lives

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Grassroots.org
Creative Commons License