ABOUT
Educational Video Center challenges structural inequities and harmful narratives that disadvantage young people of color in education, careers, and life.
We do this by teaching documentary filmmaking to help young people thrive as learners, artists and social justice leaders; building the capacity of teachers and public schools to create youth-centered, culturally responsive classrooms; mobilizing youth-produced media to inspire action; and disrupting systems that harm BIPOC youth, their communities, and the world.
MISSION
Founded in 1984, Educational Video Center is a non-profit youth media organization dedicated to teaching documentary video as a means to develop the artistic, critical literacy, and career skills of young people, while nurturing their idealism and commitment to social change.
VISION
A just and equitable world created by young people and the power of their stories.
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO
We live in a profoundly unequal and unjust society. Our education system, and the media, are built upon systemic oppression. They perpetuate inequities that many young Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and their communities face. For instance, New York City, despite its vast racial diversity, has the most segregated education system in the country.
Our young people, 95% of whom are BIPOC and in public schools, struggle to excel in classrooms that didn’t originate from a place of equity and, despite the efforts of educators, have largely not evolved.
At the same time, despite being the global majority, only 2.5 out 10 US film directors are people of color. So our youth rarely see themselves on-screen; when they do, the depictions often perpetuate racialized stereotypes. As a result, their self-perceptions are frequently negative and inaccurate.
But we know that our transformative teaching approach can change minds. In our classrooms we are all equally learners, teachers, and collaborators. Here, young people discover the power of critical thinking and storytelling: they can change the narrative. Together, we can create a more equitable playing field and change the world.