Mission

The Educational Video Center is a non-profit youth media organization dedicated to teaching documentary video as a means to develop artistic, critical literacy, and career skills of young people, while nurturing their idealism and commitment to social change.

Activities

Through this rigorous afterschool program, 60 students from schools throughout New York City annually earn academic credit, or receive stipends, and meet the Common Core Standards as they learn to produce a documentary on a subject of personal interest and community relevance. They devote 3 hours a day, 3-4 afternoons per week for 15 weeks during the semester, or 6 weeks during the summers, to the research, planning, shooting and editing of their social issue documentary.

They develop real-world 21st century skills as they collaboratively learn to ask hard questions, examine evidence, search for solutions, and make their voices heard through fact-based arguments and artful storytelling. All youth participants present their final work and answer audience questions at a premiere public screening in professional venues and present evidence of their learning based on EVC rubrics to a panel of teachers, media professionals, and family members in portfolio roundtable.

Students new to EVC attend the Basic Workshop and more experienced and returning students attend the Advanced Workshop where mentors help them with college applications, internship and job opportunities. We are proud that EVC graduates have gone on to work at a range of media companies including the ABC, New York Times, PBS’s POV series, Hispanic International TV Network, Bloomberg News, BET, History Channel, CNBC, Nickelodeon and the Manhattan Neighborhood Network.

Eligibility