Category: Ism Youth Files

Meet our first round of winners for The Ism Youth Files

February 4, 2022

MediaRites presents our first round of submissions, we’ve selected the first five winners chosen for The -Ism Youth Files, a new project of mental health stories by youth including an e-book and resource toolkit and four nationally distributed 30-minute podcasts and short form films called “Choreo-Poems.” Our project is a response to the isolation of youth and its effect on mental health in BIPOC and disability communities (ages 12-21).

The selected pieces are:

“Pandemic 2021″ by Deandre Avant, age 20

I’m Deandre Avant (he/him). I was born and raised here in Boston, Massachusetts. I have three brothers, four sisters, two nieces and two nephews. I went to Boston Arts Academy for five years as a Visual Arts major. I also worked for the Boch Center as a Dancer for three summers. Now I work for Teen Empowerment as a Dancer for two years including summers. The plans I have for my future are to be a very successful architect and get married to my girlfriend. Be able to make all the money in the world so I can buy numerous things including a house. Also to have my own dance studio for youth to be able to have a space to build careers and better my city.

“Ripped From the Arms of Logic and Knocking on the Neighbor’s Door for the Spare Key” by Niko Boskovic, age 20

Niko, age 20, lives in Portland, Oregon. As a child, he underwent a lot of therapy to treat his autism, but never really needed most of it. Niko finds that he is best able to express his lived experience through poetry, and has been published in Montana Mouthful; Lunch Ticket’s Amuse-Bouche: Spotlight; In Parentheses Magazine; and The Pointed Circle.

“COVID: We Went Through That” by Journeya, age 17

I’m Journeya, and at this moment, I am 17 years old. I live in Mystic Connecticut with my soul companions Callie the talkative cat, Jasper the energetic beagle, and all of my wonderfully joyous plant friends. Fun fact: I live right by the famous Mystic Pizza and walk by it from time to time. 

“Smile” by Ella Celko. age 12

Ella is in the sixth grade at Childpeace Montessori School.  She lives in Portland with her parents, brother, and two cats.  She enjoys drawing and playing with her cats.  She also loves sushi and macarons.

“Get Up” by Roodley Merilo, age 17

Roodley is a Haitian-American senior at New London high school that hopes to become an accomplished writer in the near future. Previous works have included writing 12 a.m. Thoughts for Writer Block INC as well as being commisioned for a piece with F.R.E.S.H. In his free time Roodley likes to take pictures for his community and is an ECC all-star for his track and field team. They’d like to thank Joshua Brown and Juanita Wilbur for nurturing his writing career. 

Send in your youth writing for a new project of youth stories about challenges, hopes and dreams to be included in an e-book, four nationally distributed 30-minute podcasts and short form films!

Deadline – Mar. 15th 2022. Read guidelines or submit your work here. 

The Peabody award-winning multicultural and multi-discipline production organization MediaRites is launching ROUND TWO of our submissions for a project responding to the isolation of youth, life challenges and its effect on youth mental health and well-being in BIPOC and disability communities (suggested ages 12-21).

The ISM Youth Files is looking for personal essays, monologues, poetry and short graphic novelettes for 1) an e-book collection o, 2) four 30-minute podcasts of youth stories, interviews and performances and 3) 2-3 minute films of performed poetry with movement. The e-book, podcast and films will be distributed free.

We accept submissions from youth around the country with an emphasis on Oregon youth. Each writing submission selected receives an honorarium payment of $100-$300. Additional payment for podcast readings or film appearances!

The -Ism Youth Files Second Round of Submissions

January 16, 2022

THE ISM YOUTH FILES SECOND ROUND OF WRITING CONTEST SUBMISSIONS – DUE MARCH 15TH! All youth will be paid!

Send in your youth writing for a new project of youth stories about challenges, hopes and dreams to be included in an e-book, four nationally distributed 30-minute podcasts and short form films! The Peabody award-winning multicultural and multi-discipline production organization MediaRites is launching ROUND TWO of our submissions for a project responding to the isolation of youth, life challenges and its effect on youth mental health and well-being in BIPOC and disability communities (suggested ages 10-21).

The ISM Youth Files is looking for personal essays, monologues, poetry and short graphic novelettes for 1) an e-book collection o, 2) four 30-minute podcasts of youth stories, interviews and performances and 3) 2-3 minute films of performed poetry with movement. The e-book, podcast and films will be distributed free.

Youth can submit a piece they’ve already written or use the following prompts to create a new piece:

What does it feel like when you feel connected to others?What makes you feel hope when you feel down?

How do you help a friend or loved one when they face challenges in their lives? What are your wishes for 2022 and why?

We accept submissions from youth around the country with an emphasis on Oregon youth. Each writing submission selected receives an honorarium payment of $100-$300. Additional payment for podcast readings or film appearances!

Deadline – Mar. 15th 2022. Read guidelines or submit your work here. 

The ISM Youth Files project is led by Dmae Lo Roberts, a two-time Peabody award-winning documentary producer, filmmaker and writer and the executive producer of MediaRites. Samson Syharath, a Portland theater artist, playwright and educator is the associate producer.
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ANNOUNCING THE ISM YOUTH FILES

August 22, 2021

A new project of mental health stories by youth includes an e-book and resource toolkit and four nationally distributed 30-minute podcasts and short form films called “Choreo-Poem.”

With support from the Ronni S. Lacroute fund, the Oregon Community Foundation, the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation and Oregon Children’s Theatre, the Peabody award-winning multicultural production organization MediaRites is launching a project responding to the isolation of youth and its effect on mental health in BIPOC and disability communities (ages 14-21).

The ISM Youth Files includes) 1) an e-book collection of monologues, personal essays, poetry and short graphic novelettes, 2) four 30-minute podcasts of youth stories, interviews and performances and 3) 2-3 minute films of performed poetry with movement. The e-book, podcast and films will be distributed free. We will also be distributing the podcast on all platforms and nationally through PRX.org (Public Radio Exchange).

Through submissions from youth around the country, this project will have an emphasis on Oregon youth. Announcements are being sent to public schools, libraries and community organizations. Through a panel comprised of mental health consultants, partners and youth representatives, we’ll select up to 15 or more submissions. Each submission selected receive an honorarium payment.

Two decades earlier, MediaRites produced a book and CD series called “Sorting Through Shadows: Youth Speak Out on Mental Health.” MediaRites selected essays from more than 25 contributors from all over country and the world. 

The ISM Youth Files project is led by Dmae Lo Roberts, a two-time Peabody award-winning documentary producer, filmmaker and writer and the executive producer of MediaRites. Samson Syharath, a Portland theater artist, playwright and educator will be associate producer.

Partners for this project include:

Dr. Eleanor Gil-Kashiwabara, PsyD, Licensed Psychologist is our mental health consultant who grew up in New Jersey but lives and practices in Portland, OR. The daughter of two social workers, she was raised with a social justice orientation and incorporates this perspective into her psychological practice. Her training and professional experience has focused on children and families experiencing a variety of issues including, but not limited to trauma (including intergenerational trauma, historical loss and racial trauma), early childhood attachment disruptions and maltreatment, neurodevelopmental disorders and mood disorders. As a bilingual, Latinx psychologist of Puerto Rican and Cuban descents, she is passionate about and committed to providing culturally responsive services to all clients, while emphasizing the addressing of service inequities and culturally-specific service provision in Latinx, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and African American communities. More at luminosapsych.com/about/

Oregon Children’s Theatre, a premiere youth theater dedicated to exception theater and storytelling experiences that can educate, empower, inspire and entertain in remarkable ways. OCT, under the leadership of Artistic Director Marcella Crowson, will provide resources to help with finding youth performers and in the creation of a resource toolkit that could be shared nationally to Theatre for Young Audiences that would perhaps seed a national anthology of stories, films and stage performances.  This toolkit will also be available free.

With the guidance of community partners, creative writing mentors and mental health experts, we can raise awareness for a still taboo subject of mental health and suicide through our submissions process and artwork created.

“Wellness is not a state of being but a state of action. It is the freedom to move fluidly… through the experiences of being human.” (Nagoski & Nagoski, 2020).