Youth Connecting Our Community, Redrawing the Map.

"Youth Connecting Our Community" offers an opportunity to highlight the positives of our neighborhoods and break down the invisible barriers which currently exist on the North Side of Pittsburgh and often result in tragic conflict. We propose a nine-month program for 30 middle school girls from different neighborhoods on the North Side where they can discuss the realities of their lives and how geographic boundaries (whether real or perceived) impact their daily activities and choices. The participating girls will be selected from among girls already participating in youth leadership programs at four different community based organizations on the North Side. Using maps as a tool for initiating conversations about their community and lives, the girls will participate in groups facilitated by counselors to identify their homes, safe places, and points of importance. From these conversations, the girls will gain a foundation for creating maps that highlight their personal spaces of importance and how these are connected to the broader community. Their "new" map will be silk screened onto bulletproof glass. With instruction provided by Pittsburgh Filmmakers, each girl will then be asked to create a 30-60 second video addressing the violence in their neighborhoods. The girls can work together to create a longer video. For example: three girls working together create a skit, dance or performance (90 seconds to 3 minutes long). A still of a piece of artwork, poster or photo made by a participant set to her voice or music. A poetry slam between the neighborhoods, Girls playing basketball together showing good sportsmanship or a specific interaction between the players. A short story written and then read by the participant. Two girls interviewing each other, “Barbara Walters Style”, music, etc. Girls working together from different neighborhoods will have their video aired on each neighborhood monitor. Perhaps one participant from Manchester works with a Pittsburgh Project girl. The ensuing video will show on both Manchester and The Pittsburgh Project monitors. For participating institutions group activity videos would be shown- Girls silk-screening at AIR or touring the Children’s Museum are examples. Monitors, installed behind the glass map where each participating group is located will play the videos randomly, mimicking the randomness of violence. The videos will change the landscape as they play. The map will be shared and travel between the participating organizations. The videos will be published on YouTube.