Photos from the Pizza Party!

A great time was had by all at the YAC Pizza Party/Art Share on the 14th! Everyone enjoyed delicious pizza from Antonio's and Bertucci's, cupcakes, and really cool art.

Thanks to Alisa and Jacob for sharing their portfolios (you can see them here and here)...

...to the GEV Amherst participants for bringing their prints and zine pages...

...and to the GEV Ware participants for showing their digital photos!

Upcoming events at YAC!

There's lots going on here at YAC as we prepare to share all our hard work with the wider community in the next couple weeks!

First up is the Youth Legislative Forum!

As you may or may not know, I, Hannah, am an AmeriCorps member with YouthServe AmeriCorps. Every year YouthServe hosts the Youth Legislative Forum at the end of January in Greenfield. This event gives youth a chance to voice their opinions, ask questions and raise concerns directly to the legislators that represent them in local and state government.

The Forum is next Friday, January 29th, from 3-5pm! All youth are invited to attend.


That same night is the first Video Vanguards screening and cabaret of the year!

Friday, January 29th 2010
6:30-8:30pm in the Amherst College Freidman Room

Join Video Vanguards youth for an evening of brand new video, poetry, dance, music, and education.

mis⋅un⋅der⋅stood[mis-uhn-der-stood]
–adjective
1. improperly understood or interpreted.
2. unappreciated.

How and why we are we MISUNDERSTOOD?
What does it mean and how does it feel to be MISUNDERSTOOD?

Videos explores issues of identity, stereotypes, music, education, access, and teen depression.

Our cabarets feature local artists from the community! If you're a performer, or know of someone locally, we'd love to have you be a part of our cabaret! Poetry, music, dance, anything we'd love to hear what you have to say! The theme is based around what it means to be "misunderstood."



Finally, GirlsEyeView is proud to announce their first show of the year!

GEV Amherst and Ware together invite the community to attend a traveling exhibition of original photography, writing and collage by the GirlsEyeView participants. Called “Nothing’s Perfect”, the project is a homemade zine exploring issues such as feminine beauty in the media, suicide, the environment, and love and relationships. Copies of the completed zine will be available for the public.

The show will happen both in Amherst and Ware, with the schedule as follows:

Amherst:
February 2 – February 12, 2010
Amherst Regional Middle School, 170 Chestnut St., Amherst, MA
Reception: Tuesday, February 2, 5:30-7pm

Ware:
March 1 – March 12, 2010
Ware Public Library, 37 Main St., Ware, MA
Reception: Monday, March 1, 4-6pm

Alumni Survey!

We're currently conducting a survey of all alumni of our programs, to get a better idea of the long term impact of Youth Action Coalition. The data from the survey will be really useful in grant applications, it will help to ensure the continuation and permanence of YAC in the community.

Please take 10 minutes and help us out. You can take the survey here.


Here's a message to all alumni of our programs, from Executive Director Stacey Lennard:

Hello awesome alumni!

I'm so thrilled to see so many of you back through Facebook. Please help spread the word to others that we're here and looking forward to staying more connected. We hope this will be a space for open dialogue. Please write in with any ideas you'd like to share...

In our effort to hear what you've been up to and how YAC has impacted you, we're asking for your prompt attention to the Alumni Survey that was recently created by Hannah Fjeld, our AmeriCorps member extraordinaire. I am currently writing 3 new grant proposals that ask about our LONG TERM IMPACT ON YOUTH. This is where you're voices are so vital. Your experiences and your stories will help fund the future of our programs!! We greatly appreciate your effort to fill this out soon (grants are due end of Jan!!).

And feel free to drop a line just to say hello!
Stacey

Upcoming events at YAC!

There are some really exciting events coming up at Youth Action Coalition in the month of January!

This Sunday, January 10th at 4pm, the Leverett Community Chorus is hosting a benefit concert for YAC at the First Congregational Church in Leverett Center. The suggested donation is $8. Under the masterful direction of Anne Louise White, the Leverett Community Chorus will sing a rich repertoire drawing from varied musical traditions, including a gentle Yoruba chant, a traditional Breton Carol, a rousing union anthem, South African freedom songs and more. This intergenerational chorus is a joyful community gathering that has been together for six years.

Our next all-YAC event is on Thursday, January 14th at 5pm at the Bangs Community Center! It's a pizza party and art share, with pizza generously donated by Antonio's in Amherst. This event is a time for the YAC community to come together socially - to hang out, eat some delicious pizza, and talk about our art. There will be a laptop and a projector available to show digital videos, photographs, and other art. You should bring your art to share!

Also coming up soon - a VV screening and cabaret!

MISUNDERSTOOD : Friday, January 29th
6:30-8:30pm in the Amherst College Campus Center Freidman Room

Join Video Vanguards youth for an evening of brand new video, poetry, dance, music, and education.

mis⋅un⋅der⋅stood[mis-uhn-der-stood]
–adjective
1. improperly understood or interpreted.
2. unappreciated.

How and why we are we MISUNDERSTOOD?
What does it mean and how does it feel to be MISUNDERSTOOD?

Our videos explore issues of identity, stereotypes, music, education, access, and teen depression.

Our cabarets feature local artists from the community!

If you’re a performer, or know of someone locally, we'd love to have you be a part of our cabaret! Poetry, music, dance, anything we'd love to hear what you have to say! The theme is based around what it means to be "misunderstood." To get involved in the cabaret or to find out more about Video Vanguards contact: Program Coordinator Sasha Alexander : sasha@youthactioncoalition.org, 856.906.5968 or Noalanii Karakashian : noaniik@gmail.com if you are interested in performing at the cabaret.

The Claw Foot Tub is now selling GEV notecards!

The Claw Foot Tub, a locally-owned Amherst home furnishings shop, is now selling notecards made by GirlsEyeView! The Claw Foot Tub specializes in fair trade and eco-friendly wares. We're proud to be associated with such a wonderful business.

Please visit The Claw Foot Tub and pick up a GEV notecard while you're there!

Address:
30 Main St.
Amherst, MA

Phone:
(413)253-3500