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Voice
of Youth aims to work intensively with a minimum of 120
teens each year from all over the county. The experience in
our pilot project proves that every teen served creates a
radius of influence around him or her, with friends and family
getting involved. I had one mother call me up, giddy with
excitement because she never knew her son was a writer! Several
students brought in boyfriends and buddies, brothers and sisters.
And Voice of Youth is prominently featured in many kids’
on-line “blog” journals.
And
since our teens come from all over the county from incredibly
diverse backgrounds, the effects are not contained to one
community. Lastly, with KRCB radio reaching 30,000 listeners
every week, the ripples of our product increase exponentially
over the airwaves.
Every
pledge, no matter the amount, is an investment in our county’s
future. Here’s a perspective on what a generous $10,000
gift could provide.
1.
Sponsor an Intern
$1000
to $2000 per intern.
¨ It costs about $1,000 to put a trainee intern through
a semester of Voice of Youth.
¨ For kids of more limited resources, the cost comes
to $2,000 each to be sure to extend the same opportunities
to these interns.
¨ Your participation of $10,000 could ensure five of
these underprivileged teens take the first step to opening
doors that would otherwise be closed to them, while Sonoma’s
radio listeners get to hear compelling first person narratives
about issues usually relegated to blaring headlines and
alarming statistics.
2.
Provide Equipment
$2000 per Editing System
¨ A laptop outfitted with digital editing software can
be purchased for $2,000; this makes it possible for Voice
of Youth to provide the teens hands-on experience with
a professional system, skills that could lead to a more
fulfilling and creative job.
¨ A gift of $10,000 could provide 2 portable editing
systems plus mulitiple desk tops with internet access to
provide interns with writing and research tools.
3.
A Gift of a Home
$5000 Voice of Youth Studio Trailer
¨ A trailer setup and monthly rent costs $5,000 a year.
¨ This gives teens a safe, sophisticated place to hang
out, an alternative to the mall or the street corner, a
place to research on-line, write, edit, and dialogue with
their fellow teens. They can put up posters, play their
own music, write statistics on the board, invite friends
and family to see their “office.” For adolescents,
who so yearn for membership to a group, a clubhouse is essential.
¨ A gift of $10,000 pledges to the teens that we can
provide this safe space for them for two years.
4.
Provide Teens With a Mentor
About
$30,000 a year for each Staff Support Position
¨ Staff support of Voice of Youth is key to
the success of the program.
¨ The learning curve of the interns is directly proportional
to how much one on one time they have with the director
to revise stories and professionally produce them.
¨ They also need a full-time editor dedicated to polishing
their work and teaching them professional broadcast standards.
¨
Each year, we plan to promote the most dedicated intern
to a part-time Senior Producer role, at a cost of about
$8,000 a year. Also, for dedicated interns who are selected
to be Junior Producers, we plan to provide a $100 symbolic
stipend per semester.
¨ Your gift of $10,000 goes a long way towards ensuring
teens have guidance and support.
5.
Every Dollar Counts 
¨
Other yearly budget items to consider include $3,000 to
feed hungry writers, $3,000 for transportation and $5,000
in recording cassettes, and promotional material to get
the word out about the stories.
¨ I encourage you to take a careful look at the funds
necessary to sustain this innovative program and decide
what aspects you would like to provide for. Every pledge,
no matter the amount, helps build this creative space for
our teens.
6.
Partner with KRCB in Support of Voice of Youth
¨
Finally, I’d like to remind you that Voice of Youth
is made possible through KRCB’s generous sponsorship.
The hidden costs of administrative and technical support
cannot be underestimated.
¨ I’d like to suggest that you match your support
of the Voice of Youth project with an allocation
to KRCB as the local station that provides airwaves for
the teens. Even just an additional 10% of a $10,000 pledge
to Voice of Youth would provide $1000 to ensure the health
of the station that provides the venue for our stories.
Comments
and queries can be addressed to Director, Tatiana Harrison.
Office phone: 707-584-2017
Cell phone: 707-477-8116
Email: tatiana_harrison@krcb.org
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