Youth Empowerment Studios
For many local youth, job skills are highly desired and sought after. However, many hit a wall after going through job training programs and classes: how to get a job in this economy with no experience? The Youth Empowerment Studios (YES) helps youth break through this wall by providing on-the-job training while employing them at a professional media production studio.
CMC began this innovative program in 2007 in Fresno when young people responded to the need in the nonprofit and public sectors for reasonably priced and reliable media production. By 2009, CMC expanded this program by opening a second Youth Empowerment Studios in Sacramento.
Through this social enterprise program, young people are given the opportunity to work on a professional video production crew, gain valuable work experiences, and receive the guidance and support they need to transition from youth to productive young adults. Requirements for youth to join this social enterprise include volunteer hours helping the community, preferably with media production, and to be in school. Most youth are recruited from disadvantaged neighborhoods and families. The social impact is three-fold: youth gain skills and mentoring from professional adults, earn income to help support their families or pay for their higher education, and customers get professional media produced at an affordable rate – no small feat on the average nonprofit marketing budget.
YES offers video production services that include event and short form production (from event highlight videos to mini documentaries to Public Service Announcements and commercials); social media production including networking, marketing and distribution solutions; as well as individual, group and company wide technology and participatory media seminars based on your specific needs.
Youth Empowerment Studios offers clients the opportunity to support a youth development and training program while getting professional quality marketing at a reasonable cost.
Click here to see examples of YES projects, and obtain a quote.
Click here to read a Sacramento Bee article about a young person’s life changing experience as a part of YES.