BAVC Media Youth Honored by SFFILM at Essential SF 2024
BAVC Media’s Youth team was honored to receive recognition from SFFILM during their Essential SF award ceremony on April 16, 2024. Essential SF is an ongoing project that shines a light on the region’s legendary, idiosyncratic, and multifaceted contributions to film culture in the Bay Area and a compendium of people and organizations most vital to the Bay Area film community.
“We are admirers of [BAVC Media’s] work of uplifting and equipping young Bay Area students and filmmakers with skills and resources to create media that promotes social change and celebrates their diverse stories through Reel Stories and BAVC Youth programs.”
– SFFILM’s Education department staff
BAVC Youth and Reel Stories Teaching Artists Valentina Di Castri, Wuendy Calmo, and Carol Luna Morales accepted the award.
“Artists and educators are not often recognized for our passion-driven hard work, so to have SFFILM recognize and honor us with this award was deeply rewarding to me. I delivered my thank you speech with tears coming down my face, feeling immense gratitude to be in the position to be there for my students as a safe and encouraging presence.”
– Valentina, Teaching Artist
For over 20 years, BAVC Youth and Emerging Media Makers Programs (YEMM) have been local and national models in the field of media arts and education.
BAVC Youth Programs equip young people ages 11-24 with the skills and experience they need to create media that matters to them and focuses on their social change goals.
We prepare our participants to enter the digital media workforce on pathways to finding sustainable employment in high-wage, high demand occupations, while developing a personal creative practice. Students gain marketable technical skills through hands-on, project-based coursework, taught by working professionals using industry-standard equipment.
In addition to rigorous technical training and career readiness coaching, students are taught essential soft skills, like communication, teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution. Most notably, participants learn how to tell stories in the digital realm using their diverse life experiences as the foundation of their creative expression. BAVC Youth programs are distinguished in their dedication to creating a safe, supportive, and culturally conscious environment for young voices to thrive, through embodying a social justice framework and prioritizing community building.
