Increasing Media Literacy in St. Paul

Saint Paul Neighborhood Network | St. Paul, MN

SPNN

Challenge

In the early 2000s, the gap among urban youth without access to the internet was already a growing problem. To address this challenge, the city of St. Paul granted funds to SPNN, a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching media literacy to St. Paul residents.

Main Challenges included:

  • Community Awareness: Increasing the visibility and impact of youth media programs to garner more community support and recognition.

  • Skill Development: Comprehensive curricula needed to be developed that would speak to and equip today's youth with essential media literacy and technical skills, ensuring they were prepared for future opportunities.

  • Low Youth Engagement: The initial enrollment numbers of under-resourced youth enrolling and completing SPNN's programs were considerably low, reflecting a lack of access and outreach to this targeted local youth community.

Work

I was hired to enhance the department's impact, foster a greater sense of community, and provide more young individuals with meaningful opportunities to express themselves and develop critical thinking skills.

Leveraging my Americorps service and leadership training, digital media expertise, and community partnership connections, I identified the key areas to amplify outreach efforts to increase youth engagement and promote media literacy on a larger scale.

I then developed pilot programs to test new curriculum modules and outreach strategies.

  1. ‘My Media’ Outreach Program to help our organization focus on broadening its reach and deepening its impact.

  2. Youth Intern Program (YIP), which focuses on hands-on learning and practical experience in media production — emphasizing community engagement, media literacy, critical/analytical thinking & leadership, facilitating student success & increasing community involvement.

Work (continued)

Key Actions

  • My Media Campaign: I strategically designed the 'My Media Campaign' outreach campaign to help SPNN broaden its reach and deepen its impact. Leveraging my Americorps service and leadership experience, digital media expertise, and community partnership connections, I identified key areas to amplify outreach efforts to increase youth engagement and promote media literacy on a larger scale.

  • Lead Designer and Director: As the lead designer, director, and implementor of ‘My Media Campaign,’ I expanded partnerships with local schools and community organizations. Utilizing targeted outreach efforts, she helped SPNN attract a more diverse, creatively curious, and civically engaged group of teenagers. This initiative was grounded in my commitment to fostering a collaborative environment where the Twin Cities metro youth could explore media production, express their perspectives, and develop valuable skills to help shape their communities.

  • Establishing Relationships: I established and maintained relationships with the Board of Directors, external community groups, leaders, organizations, schools, and parents. This network expanded awareness of SPNN Youth programs and youth-produced media content through social media networking, television, and community referral partnerships.

  • Recruitment Strategies: I developed, implemented, and evaluated departmental youth recruitment strategies, ensuring that the programs reached a broader audience and attracted diverse participation.

  • Youth Intern Program: I created the Youth Intern Program and managed its implementation. This included developing policies, procedures, day-to-day operations, facility management, and ensuring compliance with grant requirements. I recruited, hired, trained, and supervised over 50 paid interns, providing them with valuable hands-on experience and professional development opportunities.

Results

  • Increased Youth Enrollment: The ‘My Media’ Outreach Program successfully increased youth enrollment by 300%​​.

  • Recognition and Awards: The success of the SPNN Youth department, alongside Erika's leadership, led to significant recognition, including local and national awards for the innovative and impactful nature of the youth media programs​​​​.

  • Community Impact: The Youth Intern Program equipped youth with essential skills and enhanced community awareness and involvement through partnership screenings and collaborative projects with local schools and organizations. This collaborative effort expanded the reach and impact of SPNN’s youth media programs.

  • Successful Curriculum Implementation: I designed and taught a flagship Youth Intern Program (YIP), an intensive job training course that covered leadership, community engagement, and documentary filmmaking. Taught students to write, storyboard, shoot, and edit over 100+ documentaries screened for the community. The program saw a 100% graduation rate, with over 200 under-resourced youth benefiting from the curriculum​​​​. Parts of my program are still being taught today.