by Ted Kresse and Scott Schmidt

This past summer,  DCI Group sponsored the Radio Rootz Summer Media Organizing Program, which partners public schools and community organizations in Washington, DC to provide lessons in radio production, media creation, and media literacy to local youth.  This year’s program recently culminated at an event in Washington, DC with a packed house at the All Souls Unitarian Church in the Columbia Heights district of Washington, DC.

Operating under their parent organization, People’s Production House, Radio Rootz DC is a youth education and development program that uses media production skills to increase civic engagement among younger generations. Radio Rootz DC involves a long-term commitment to underserved youth, providing opportunities for their learning and leadership over a series of years.

Leigh Ann Caldwell, founder of Radio Rootz DC, stated, “The children learn that their voice matters. A lot of times children have ideas, and it’s important to express those ideas and what they want to say while learning the right skills necessary to do that.”

The organization uses radio production and journalism skils as a tool for meaningful youth development and educational enhancement, both of which are creating a new generation of civically engaged youth.  In addition to their summer internship program, Rootz provides DC youth with year round lessons in media, leadership training and community involvement.   Their motto is simple, “We keep youth engaged and off the streets while building the skills of young people to be creative story-tellers and put them on a path to careers in the arts and journalism.”

The 15 individuals selected to participate in the Radio Rootz summer internship program receive media making skills and community involvement through the production of an annual summer project. This year, the project, both planned and developed by the students, was a 10-minute radio documentary,  in which the students explored the high school graduation rate in Washington, DC and the lack of resources high school youth receive to prepare them for college or the work force. The interviewing process culminated in a 30 minute interview with students and DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee.

Student Ingrid Yvonne and intern Khalis Marshall, both second year participants, believe that the project not only gives students more promise for the future but also keeps them informed of what is being done in their own neighborhood.

Yvonne, narrator of the final project said, “Through the program I feel much more informed about what is going on in the neighborhood especially in terms of education. The students become involved in the community by actually interacting with it through interviews and production.”

“In my experience, the program brings youth together; we would be sitting at home or out on the streets otherwise,” said Marshall. “We get to partake in projects covering our neighborhoods and the surrounding areas.  It’s a great opportunity for us because we get the chance to go into the field and be introduced to professionals.”

The final documentary was dispersed widely around the Hill to the DC City Council and aired on more than 100 national radio outlets that are engaged in the program.

DCI Group was proud to be the initial corporate sponsor of this program that is educating our youth about the importance of journalism in our society.  As a firm that engages with journalists on regular basis, we hope that many of these students will recognize their ability to help shape the public discussion about important issues through journalism, and will eventually choose to pursue a career in this field as part of their life-long goals.  The Fourth Estate is eagerly awaiting their arrival!

To learn more about the program and hear the documentary, visit the organization’s website at www.peoplesproductionhouse.org/radio-rootz-dc

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