Program Dates: September 12, 2026 – January 9, 2027 Time: Saturdays, 1:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.
Community Screening: January 16, 2027
For youth in grades 7 – 12
What makes a neighborhood thrive — and who gets the opportunity to be part of it?
That’s the question at the heart of Youth StoryLab, a hands-on media production program where young people learn to tell the stories that matter most in their own communities.
If you’ve ever looked around your neighborhood and thought someone should tell that story — this program is your chance to be the one who does.
What Is Youth StoryLab?
Youth StoryLab is a media program built for students who want to explore the people, businesses, places, and experiences shaping the neighborhoods they call home. Through short documentaries, video storytelling, and magazine-style TV segments, you’ll dig into topics like local business, jobs, entrepreneurship, housing, education, and neighborhood change and connect directly with the people living those stories every day.
Whether you’re drawn to civic issues, passionate about your block, or just want to give a voice to the people around you, Youth StoryLab gives you the tools to turn that passion into real, published work.
No Experience Necessary
You don’t need to know your way around a camera to join. You just need curiosity and something to say. Over the course of the program, you’ll learn:
- Story development — finding the stories worth telling
- Interviewing — asking questions that go beneath the surface
- Camera operation — shooting like a pro
- Audio & lighting — the technical skills behind every great video
- Video editing — shaping raw footage into a finished story
Every skill you learn gets put to immediate use. This is a working studio, not a classroom. You’ll be out in the community, camera in hand, from day one.
Your Work, On the Big Screen
This program isn’t just about learning skills. It’s about creating something real. Throughout the fall, you and your fellow participants will produce original stories about the opportunities, challenges, and people shaping your community.
Then, on January 16, 2027, your work will premiere at a community screening and showcase — a chance for your family, friends, and neighbors to see your stories on the big screen and hear the voices you helped bring forward.
Why It Matters
Every neighborhood has stories that don’t always make it into the news — the small business just getting off the ground, the student breaking new ground, the block that’s changing before everyone’s eyes. Youth StoryLab is about making sure those stories get told, and told by the young people who know their community best.
This is more than a media program. It’s a chance to spark conversation, build empathy, and create real change through the power of storytelling.
Program Details
- Program: Youth StoryLab
- Dates: September 12, 2026 – January 9, 2027
- When: Saturdays, 1:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.
- Community Screening: January 16, 2027
- Who: Students in grades 7-12 who are ready to explore, create, and tell their community’s story — no experience required
Ready to Tell Your Story?
Your neighborhood has stories worth telling. Bring your perspective, learn the tools, and help shape how your community sees itself.
Register now for Youth StoryLab →
Spots are limited — sign up today and join us starting September 12.
