Organization: ST PAUL NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK
Mission: SPNN AMPLIFIES VOICES AND STORIES FROM OUR COMMUNITY AND EMPOWERS PEOPLE TO USE MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS TO MAKE BETTER LIVES, USE AUTHENTIC VOICE, AND BUILD COMMON UNDERSTANDING. WE ACCOMPLISH THIS MISSION BY TEACHING MEDIA AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS TO YOUTH; TRAINING ADULTS IN BASIC AND ADVANCED CAMERA, EDITING, LIGHTING, AND SOUND TECHNIQUES; PROVIDING FOUR CABLE CHANNELS PROGRAMMED WITH LOCALLY PRODUCED CONTENT; AND TEACHING DIGITAL LITERACY COURSES TO YOUTH, ADULTS, AND NEW IMMIGRANTS FROM ACROSS THE TWIN CITIES.
Activities: COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION PROJECT (CTEP) - A NATIONALLY UNIQUE PROGRAM TO COMBAT THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, CTEP AMERICORPS PLACES 35 MEMBERS AT COMMUNITY SITES THROUGHOUT THE TWIN CITIES. THESE MEMBERS ASSIST NEW AMERICANS AND LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY TO BETTER ACCESS SOCIAL, CIVIC, EDUCATIONAL, AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. MEMBERS RUN OPEN COMMUNITY COMPUTER LABS AND TEACH BASIC DIGITAL JOB SKILLS, MEDIA MAKING, AND DIGITAL STORYTELLING. IN ADDITION, SPNN PROVIDES SIGNIFICANT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING FOR THE COHORT OF CTEP AMERICORPS MEMBERS. LAST YEAR, OUR PARTICIPANTS TRAINED OVER 2,400 JOB SEEKERS AND HELPED ALMOST 650 SECURE NEW OR BETTER EMPLOYMENT.
PROGRAMS - SPNN SERVES AS THE PUBLIC AND EDUCATIONAL ACCESS FACILITY AND COMMUNITY MEDIA CENTER FOR THE CITY OF SAINT PAUL. THE PROGRAMS TEAM OFFERS ACCESS TO EQUIPMENT, COMPUTERS, PROFESSIONAL MEDIA SOFTWARE AND TELEVISION STUDIO SPACE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO PRODUCE MEDIA CONTENT. THE PROGRAMS TEAM ALSO HOUSES MEDIA ACTIVE AND CREATECH, TWO YOUTH MEDIA PROGRAMS. MEDIA ACTIVE PROVIDES YOUTH WITH VALUABLE WORK EXPERIENCE IN MEDIA FIELDS VIA FEE FOR SERVICE VIDEO PRODUCTION. UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF AN ADULT MENTOR, YOUTH PRODUCE HIGH-QUALITY VIDEO MEDIA FOR NONPROFIT, CORPORATE, AND GOVERNMENT CLIENTS. CREATECH IS A DROP-IN MEDIA MAKER SPACE HOSTED AT SPNN WHERE YOUTH CAN EXPLORE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA.
PRODUCTION - THE SPNN PRODUCTION TEAM HELPS EXPAND THE REACH OF NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH LOW-COST MEDIA SERVICES AND BY COVERING MANY IMPORTANT COMMUNITY ISSUES AND EVENTS THROUGH PROGRAMS PRODUCED IN-HOUSE. PRODUCING AND DISTRIBUTING HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF CONTENT A YEAR, THE SPNN PRODUCTION TEAM CURATES 30 YEARS OF CULTURAL, CIVIC AND ARTS PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION TO PRODUCTION AND LIVE EVENT DUTIES, THIS TEAM ALSO PROGRAMS FOUR NON-COMMERCIAL CHANNELS ON THE CITY CABLE SYSTEM WITH CONTENT 24/7. CHANNELS 14 AND 15 ARE OFFERED FOR PUBLIC ACCESS AND AIR PROGRAMS PRODUCED OR SPONSORED BY LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS. CHANNEL 16 IS DEDICATED TO EDUCATIONAL CONTENT PRODUCED BY THE CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM AND SPNN YOUTH. FINALLY, CHANNEL 19 IS DEDICATED TO SPNN PRODUCTIONS, WHICH COVER A WIDE VARIETY OF IMPORTANT CULTURAL, CIVIC AND INFORMATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN THE SAINT PAUL COMMUNITY.
NTEE category: Arts, Culture & Humanities
Secondary category: Community Improvement & Capacity Building