E Newsletter

September/October 2007 E-Newsletter

Meeting the demand for culturally inclusive and relevant programming for Hispanic youth, Latinitas has expanded its Club Latinitas for elementary and middle school girls and Teen Reporter Intern Program (TRIP) for high school students from six to 15 school campuses this year.

Where to find us:
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS:
Anderson Hill (Round Rock)
Blackshear
Harris
Oak Springs
Pickle
Zavala

MIDDLE SCHOOLS:
Fulmore
Martin
Paredes
Pearce
Webb

HIGH SCHOOLS:
Akins
Reagan
Travis (Travis Teen Parents Program)

What will we be doing? Latina and other role models will be executing hands-on interactive curriculum with girls covering writing on the web, web design, photography, radio commentary and story-telling, video production, food, music and movie reviews, writing an advice column and much, much more!

Contact Laura Donnelly (512.322.9947 or laura@latinitasmaga zine.org) if you are interested in information about getting a Latinitas club on your Central Texas.

in this issue

1. Latinitas Publish in Statesman - Again!
2. National Writing Contest-Teen Latinitas in Print
3. Volunteer Spotlight: M.A.C.C. Camp Leaders
4. Latinitas Awarded Aplied Materials Grant
5. Call for Club Leaders and Volunteers
6. Saturday and October Media Camps
7. Otras Gracias

A handful of Latinitas club members from middle and high school programs met weekly this summer to blog their reactions, reviews and impressions of the Zachary Scott Theater's production of Disney's popular television movie High School Musical.

Eighth graders Briana Walker, Laura Monroy, Denise Riojas and Pflugerville high students Samantha and Hiley Escobar visited rehearsals and interviewed cast members. Their short blog commentaries were published on the Austin American Statesman's Austin 360 website in a special section dedicated to the production.

The girls were then entreated to the actual performance.

Students enrolled in Latinitas after school programming were published earlier this year in a two-page spread in the Stateman's Life and Arts section.

For that article, girls from Latinitas Martin Middle School program wrote about Latinitas' history and their experience as part of Latinitas magazine and programming. They handled all writing, editing and photography for the article.

Latinitas Briana Walker (front left) and Denise Riojas (front right) pictured with H.S. Musical cast

Club Latinitas 2007 Members Rosa Martinez (front) and Laura Monroy Think About What Makes Them Latina

To collect a range of stories from Latina youth all over the country, Latinitas is launching its first National Writing Contest. Calling Guatamaltecas in Los Angeles to Boriquas in the Bronx, Latinitas wants to hear what it is to be Latina around the country - what their lives are like, their goals, their foods, their sueñas.

Contest entries can be written in traditional journalistic AP style or in first person accounts. Girls are encouraged to paint a portrait of their lives, in their barrios. Suggested size: 800 to 1000 words. Entries should be sent to latinitasawards@ yahoo.com. More information at www.latinitasmagazi ne.org soon. Deadline: Dia de las Muertos: November 1.

Latinitas thanks the amazing team of young Latina women from Austin area high schools and colleges for making our first summer camp at the new Mexican American Cultural Center a fantastic success.

Latinitas was proud to be the first event at the M.A.C.C. inviting girls in late July to meet with camp facilitators, Carmen Rodriguez, Roxanne Peña, Isabel Reyes, Maria Rodriguez, Melanie Gomez, Desiree Longoria and Kristi Urbina for two two-week sessions of Latinitas fun.

Girls were encouraged to write about being Latina, learn digital photography, make music and fashion videos, produce radio stories and commentaries and even create their own new superhero comic strip.

Latinitas also thanks the variety of guest speakers who came each day to talk to girls about careers in media including KVUE anchorwoman Olga Campos, Austin Chronicle columnist Belinda Acosta, Ahora Si newspaper reporter Gissela Santacruz, NPR's Latino USA producer Angela Maldonado and singer/songwriter Christina Mason of the band Estrellas Brillantes.

Camp Leaders Melanie Gomez and Isabel Reyes

Girls Learn Songwriting 101 from Estrellas Brillantes frontwoman Christina Mason.

Latinitas thanks the Applied Materials company for awarding us a recent project grant for $5000 in support of the administration of our Club Latinitas program at Pearce Middle School.

Founded in 1967, Applied Materials creates and commercializes the nanomanufacturing technology that helps produce virtually every semiconductor chip and flat panel displays in the world.

The company recently entered the market for equipment to produce solar arrays and energy efficient glass.

Latinitas is in its second year of programming at Pearce Middle School and we look forward to purchasing more digital media equipment for this program to serve more girls.

Do you want to mentor young Latinas or know someone who does? Latinitas is recruiting college students who are interested in helping with our after-school programs. Program leaders will mentor girls by helping with media enrichment after-school clubs in elementary, middle and high schools.

Club leaders will facilitate group sessions of 10-15 girls on a weekly basis for an entire year. Club facilitators create media-related activities, prepare for after-school clubs, host field trips, and recruit guest speakers.

Interns must be current college students willing to commit at least 12 hours per week for an entire year. Educational stipends are provided. Interns must be available Monday – Friday between 3:00-6:00pm. Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply. Latinitas is also interested in hearing from volunteers who cannot commit to an internship, but can assist with weekly clubs. To apply, please email your resume to intern@latinitasmag azine.org and submit an online application at: http://www.latinita smagazine. com/internship_ application. php

Next Saturday marks Latinitas next free media camp: Photo Stars (Sept. 22) from 10:30 am to noon at the St. John's branch of Austin's public library. At this camp, girls are entreated to basic lessons in digital photography and then are sent around the library campus to capture shots. Next Media Diva Camp: Zany Zines, Oct. 27th.

Latinitas would also like to thank Austinite Bob Cocke for donating a brand new Sharp digital imager equipped for making copies, printing and faxing! Donations such as Bob's has made working at Latinitas incredibly easier!

View:

Latinitas, Inc. is an Austin-based nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Hispanic girls in media and technology. We accomplish this by publishing a bilingual webzine for Hispanic girls, hosting innovative media workshops in the community, and facilitating an after-school program for junior reporters.