By Maria Covarrubias | Past Participants and Teaching Artist
Dear Donor,
At Justice for My Sister, we wrapped yet another cohort of our Nuevas Novelas program, where 13 participants attended 8 workshops followed by a pitch forum, where they pitched their ideas for their short films. They then collaborated on production of the short videos, supervised by Justice for My Sister mentors and teaching artists.
The hands-on collaborative nature of the program brought students together and created a community that reaches beyond the scopes of the program. The culminating event and screenings of the films were another chance for our community to come together and for students to be able to share their work with their family and friends and participate in a discussion and Q&A with the audience.
Our staff was intentional about creating a bilingual space for the final student showcase, since some of the parents are primarily Spanish speakers. Staff had meaningful exchanges with parents, and reflected on the importance of creating youth programs that center our Latino culture through the arts.
One of our participants, Maria Covarrubias, joined the Justice for My Sister team as a Teaching Artist after they completed the Nuevas Novelas program. They write about their experience:
"I was lucky to be a participant in the last cohort of the Nuevas Novelas and to now join the team as a teaching assistant. As a participant, I had such an amazing time being able to be in a space where I was encouraged to pursue film outside the program and was taught all the basics of filmmaking. The basics are the most important part of it all and this program does a really good job of building that foundation. It is also a place for people to build community with one another. I was able to meet people from different grades and schools. Now that I am helping out with the program, I have a new perspective and a deeper appreciation for the program. It is so important to help uplift future filmmakers especially the younger people of color. I want to help them as much as I can so that they can showcase their talents to everyone. This program allows them to showcase those talents and to help boost their confidence in creating art. "
Thank you for your unvavoring support of our community. We couldn't do this without you!
Justice for My Sister Team
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