Street-Level Youth Media is a non-profit organization that began in 1993 with a group of artists who wanted one thing: for youth to document their stories. Today Street-Level is home to many free media arts classes for the youth of Chicago.
This is our 2012 Annual Report.
1. We have an inclusive, safe space and embrace youth from all corners.
We encourage youth to speak their minds.
We affirm youth experiences and youth truth-telling.
We validate youth perspective and celebrate their resiliency, honesty, and creativity.
We uplift, encourage, and motivate.
We elevate youth expression and voice.
WHAT WE DO
2. CULTIVATING YOUTH
ALUMNI MENTORS:
SPOTLIGHT ON
ROCIO ROMAN
As an aspiring instrumentalist and
songwriter, Rocio Roman was looking to
learn about composing and producing
music, so she signed up for a Street-Level
workshop at Roberto Clemente High in
2010. She grew both technically and
artistically, and with the support of the
program, was exposed to advanced
production techniques, various digital
audio workstations, and music theory.
After graduation, she expanded hermusic
production skills at Street-Level to
include audio engineering, recording and
mixing final projects that helped her
express herself. Her steady growth,
maturity and artistic development made
Rocio a clear choice to be one of
Street-Level’s first Audio Engineering
Interns, and as such she will be
responsible for providing engineering
services and mentorship to other Chicago
youth. At the end of 2012, Rocio was
accepted in the Art Institute Chicago‘s
audio engineering program.
REALITY,
RULES,
REBELLION:
SAAP 2012
The 2012 theme of the Summer Arts Apprenticeship
Program (SAAP) was “Reality, Rules, Rebellion” resulted
in 15 individual and collaborative works that included
topics such as coping with school regulations;
youth-driven fashion and music subcultures; evaluations
of mass media news; the lack of public participation in
our perceptions of important civic issues; and how
controversial cultural trends are also personal statements
(such as tattoos and environmentalism). The showcase
included the transformation of one of our instructional
spaces into a teenager’s bedroom. It addressed two
issues: fighting for educational opportunities for ill and
sick youth, and how one’s own bedroom is a critical
bastion for self-expression. Picture below, Deanna
Robinson in the females in hip-hop exhibition space.
3. YOUTH DRIVEN
PROGRAMS
ARE ON THE RISE
Q: How do successful youth-driven programs come about?
A: Here at Street-Level, students go through programs we already
have in place —in some cases ALL of the programs— and they take
what they have learned and simply apply initiative to build
something based on their interest. Currently, that’s Anime Club
and Game Club. Anime Club came first.
Q: How and when did Anime Club start?
A: In 2011, student Tamairis Dixon attended Anime Central for the
first time with one of our media instructors. Once we moved to
our Ashland Avenue location later that year, he met more kids
with an interest in anime. It started very small with maybe five or
six youth. Now, on a full day there are around 17 kids. For some, it
was their first interaction with Street-Level. In 2012 the official
Anime Club began developing a logo, started a podcast series and
began documenting conventions.
Q: And this opened the door to other clubs forming?
A: Over the years, students ask about Street-Level hosting
different types of programs or speakers, and we look into it as
time and resources allow. What’s great is when the youth take the
active leadership role in making it happen. The idea for Game Club
was seeded in 2012. It launched with the idea of having a
Gamefest, a tournament competition for prizes. Then kids just
started bringing their systems in over the wintertime to share
games and hang out. In the future we expect great things,
bringing in local developers or game celebrities.
Q: Can you talk about the roles of the mentor and the
organization in youth-driven programs or clubs?
A: Primarily, it’s to give the youth freedom to discuss things that
are important to them. As an instructor, I step back and allow
ideas to flow, offering guidance, but letting the kids know that the
decisions are ultimately theirs to make. Providing space and
access to technology, and bringing in mentors or people who are
established in their field to help guide or verify or share
knowledge is important. And of course, a welcoming and
accepting environment is key to building a community. The
positive energy is what keeps people coming.
an interview with Instructor James Duke
4. Prosser HS
Beasley Elem
Dunne Tech Academy
Dvorak TechAcademy
Gillespie Elem
Marquette Elem
Josephinum Academy
Juarez HS
Julian HS
Vaughn HS
Clemente HS
YWLCS HS
Francis Parker HS
Nettlehorst Elem
Mark Sheridan Elem
SCHOOL PARTICIPANTS
Integrated Classroom
Media Arts Projects
After-School Digital Arts
Programs
Field Trips to Street-Level
Studios
Multimedia Arts and
Journalism Classes
5. $100,000+
McCormick Tribune Foundaton
Prince Charitable Trust
$50,000-$99,999
Chicago Community Trust
$25,000-$49,999
Boeing Corporation
Polk Bros. Foundation
$10,000-$24,999
Adobe Foundation
Alphawood Foundation (WPWR Channel 50)
Field Foundation of Illinois
Mozilla Foundation
$1,000-$9,999
Best Buy Children's Foundation
Department of Cultural Affairs
Deutsche Bank
Eilts & Associates, Inc.
Ethics & Excellence in Journalism
Farther Foundation
MacArthur Foundation
NAMM Foundation
Speh Foundation
Topfer Family Foundation
Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce
Up to $999
Dennis Evchich Agency
Gap Giving Campaign
Kraft Foods Foundation
Make It Last
National Priorities Project
TIAA-CREF
US Road Sports & Entertainment of Chicago
FOUNDATION,
CORPORATE,
GOVERNMENT, &
COMMUNITY
SUPPORTERS
STREET-LEVEL IS GRATEFUL FOR OUR MANY SUPPORTERS,
WITHOUT WHOM NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE
6. Our current mission statement reads
"Street-Level Youth Media educates Chicago's
urban youth in the media arts and emerging
technologies for self-expression, communication,
and social change”. We do this so young people
have the confidence and skills to imagine better
futures for themselves, and create the world they
want to live in.
Street-Level embraces all youth. We want all
youth to reach their fullest potential. Regardless
of where they come from and where they start,
we meet them where they're at. Youth often say
Street-Level is like a home to them, and they
genuinely feel cared for by the adults here,
accepted by their peers. In our programs and
center, this sense of physical, social, and
WHY WE DO IT
a letter by
Executive Director
Manwah Lee
psychological safety creates an environment
where youth can freely express themselves,
develop their voice and identities, and form
healthy relationships with other peers and
adults.
We encourage youth to explore their
interests, take creative risks, learn new
things, and learn to learn--perhaps the most
important skill we can give them. Sometimes
they get to experience new things like plane
rides and trips to DC, but in this highly
segregated city, it's equally eye-opening for
many to just come across town, visit
downtown museums through our programs,
and make connections to people outside of
their neighborhoods.
This is also connected to how we build
community with youth, cultivate their sense
of belonging and their civic identities. When
they feel they are part of something, they
want to contribute to it. We see this for
example when youth become peer mentors,
or take the initiative to launch their own club
at Street-Level. And I've been so thrilled
over the years when different youth have
expressed to me that they want to work at
Street-Level.
Finally, media and technology are integral to
everyday life. This will only become more so
in the future. So, what chance will youth
who do not have access to technology
resources have? And even when they do
have this access, do we want them to only
use it as an entertainment pastime? At
Street-Level, we show them much more.
They learn to use various media software
and equipment to produce original videos,
music tracks, graphic design, or photography
work, picking up lots of tech-saavy and
practical skills that will be transferrable to
different jobs and related career tracks. But,
they're also learning in process how to use
media, art, and technology to develop
their voice, produce content that reflects
their perspectives and interests. By
sharing their message with others, they
are influencing people and the world
around them.
Juli Bark
Marketing Consultant
Eddie Clopton
Exelon
Meg Comer
Deutsche Bank
Will Fletcher
City of Chicago,
Inspector General‘s Office
Shawn Healy,
McCormick Foundation
Andrew Hixon,
Preformance Trust Capital Partners
Tim Irwin,
Winstrust Commercial Bank
Russell Lewis,
Chicago History Museum
2012 BOARD
2012 STAFF
Manwah Lee, Executive Director
Marc Furigay, Director of Education
Jill Puleo, Administrative Manager
Maria Krasinski, Development Manager
Aasia Mohammad, Outreach Coordinator
Christopher Lee, Media Instructor
James Duke, Media Instructor
7. $1,000+
Chris Carney
Will Fletcher
Courtney Gray
Shawn Healy
Andrew Hixson
Timothy Irwin
Russell Lewis
Brian Spekis
$500-$999
Juli Bark
Eddie Clopton
Meg Comer
Cynthia Dickens
Robert Johnson
$100-$499
Clark Bell
Michael Deitch
Arthur Duffy
Sharon Edward
Jeena Greenwalt
Amanda Gutierrez
Carrie Hixson
Paul Jaimes
Paul Johnson
Laura Michael
Michael Moran
David Nieman
Melissa Oglesby
Art Pastiche
Marc Pomerance
Lori Rimac
Carlos Rosa
Carolina Sanchez
Chiraq ShaAh
Laura Sminkey
Connie Vari
Shelly Ziacik
up to $99
Jose Alfonso
Dave Anderson
Aaron Arreguin
Michael & Susan Baseheart
Marie L. Battaglia
Josh Bednarz
Janice Belzowski
Samantha Budd
William Buford
Jen Cadigen
Charles Carpenter
Mk Carrol
Eda Chao
Joe Chybowski
John Cipolla
Micheal S. Clark
Chris Cobb
Cristina Correa
Luciana Crovato
Esmie Cuevas
Juan Cuevas
Nathalie Cuevas-Rosa
Charlotte Dadabay
Joe DiBernardo
Jennifer Brandel
Kyle Fletcher
Meg Geldman
Lauren Gill
Sarah Gray
Warlie Greiner
Judy Guardia
Tiffany Hinton
Cathy Henderson
Wayne Ho
Jared Hopkins
William Irizarry
Arlene Jamo
Anthony Janas
Monica Jaso
Laura Johnson
Patricia Jurek
Sandee Kastrul
Mary Kelly
Johanna Laigo
Beth Larocca
Paul Thomas Lewis
Jack Lohan
Barbara Maes
Patrick Maes
Sarah Magana
Laura Magand
Gary Manalus
Frank Marasignan
Ed & Dawn Marges
Edwin Mora
Deliah Moreno
Lori Mula
Jennifer Murayama
Nancy Nevarez
Nilmari
Jonathon Norman
Michael Offergeld
Carolyn Oliver
Gigi Ortiz
Michael Paulucci
April Peck
Fran Pomerance
William Pope
Guillermo Raya
Lynn Reloza
Maria Rosa
Maraliz Salgado
Vanessa Sanchez
Jen Schrover
Andrea Serrano
Peter Shiner
Ellen Siirola
Janet Siirola
Karen Siirola
Nancy Siirola
Carly Siuta
Nicole Sneltan
Christine Szewczyk
Dave Tanner
Andea Tempkin
Kathy Tooch
Frank Valadez
Kate Walsh
Helen Woghin
Cynthia Wong
Jeremiah Worth
INDIVIDUAL
CONTRIBUTIONS
8. Cash and cash equivalents _____$374,935
Fixed assets ________________ $499,554
Security deposit ______________ $13,150
Total Assets: $887,639
Long-term debt______________ $130,090
Security deposit _______________ $13,150
Total Liabilities: $143,240
Unrestricted ________________ $433,797
Temporarily restricted ________ $596,813
Total Net Assets: $1,030,610
Total Liabilities & Net Assets: $1,173,850
FINANCIALS