EVC is determined to make sure the powerful documentaries our youth producers create don’t just sit on a shelf gathering dust but are widely seen and used to move audiences to take action. We established the Community Engagement program just for this very reason. Through strategic partnerships with community education and social activist networks (including women’s rights, environmental causes, and Katrina survivor support coalitions) we distribute EVC documentaries and promote civic engagement and social change. EVC’s Community Engagement Program extends the impact of our videos by giving thousands of youth the opportunity to watch the films, discuss the issues they represent and take action in their communities. EVC screens the documentaries in schools, libraries, colleges, conferences, workshops and community centers.

In the past year, EVC served 2,500 New York City youth directly through Community Engagement screenings and nationally over 100,000 more indirectly through festivals, on-line screenings and the distribution of the DVD and accompanying study guide.

Community Engagement events are facilitated by EVC graduates who are members of EVC’s Youth Speaker’s Bureau (YSB). Through the YSB, EVC develops the facilitation and public speaking skills of alumni as they present their documentaries and lead post-screening discussions for audiences throughout the five boroughs of New York City. At each screening, they encourage audience members to voice their ideas and concerns around important social issues. They provide further information about the topic of their documentaries and offer various ways that audience members can take action.

To learn more about how to take action on a particular issue, click here.