The Mighty Writers 2.0 project gives Philadelphia high school kids the tools they need to write and produce multimedia content. The project provides year-round out-of-school classes, mentorship and resources to create websites, videos, radio content and apps. Content is showcased on real-world youth media outlets: Mighty Post and Mighty Radio. Above all, the project teaches kids to think, write and communicate clearly in a city where half of working-age residents are functionally illiterate.
In Philadelphia, the median family income is just over $30,000. Literacy is in crisis. Nearly half of the city's kids don't graduate from high school and half of working-age residents are functionally illiterate. This project will provide writing support through new media and technology programs to inspire creativity and career preparedness for more than 250 Philadelphia high school students this year.
Led by volunteer professionals, programs at Mighty Writers 2.0 will incorporate teens' interests (fashion, social networking, mobile reporting, photography, web development) and result in new media projects that will set students apart in their college applications and resumes. Content will be showcased on real-world youth media outlets: Mighty Post, a blogging website, and Mighty Radio, an Internet radio station. Each will have its own editorial team of high school kids.
The project will address literacy and technology gaps through direct work with disadvantaged Philadelphia high school kids. Mighty Writers 2.0 classes will help produce greater numbers of employable high school and college graduates who are equipped with relevant literacy and technology skills (experience building apps, editing videos, learning web development, using social media to market products) they need to compete in a changing job market, achieve personal fulfillment and simply be heard.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
