Newsletter Archive

Newsletter March 2010

From the Executive Director:
Karen L. Michaelson, Ph.D.

We have begun offering training under our BTOP grants. Tincan will present a workshop for adults, "Making a Digital Memory Book", on April 5, from 11-3 at the Corbin Senior Center. The workshop isn't for seniors only.  It's free and open to anyone interested in recording their family's or friends' memories.  We are also planning a workshop series on effectively using video and new media for environmental organizations, and a short course on inserting a video into your web page. We'll post information on these workshops shortly. Contact our office if you're interested in receiving more information about these workshops.

Our summer youth calendar is posted on the Tincan web site, and you can register for summer camps there. This year, because the grant that funded most of the teen workshops has ended, and BTOP funds only partially subsidize youth camps, we are charging a fee for the camps. However, Tincan is committed to the principle that no youth should be prevented from attending a workshop or camp because of financial considerations.  Full and partial scholarships are available for all camps.

To help with the scholarship fund, GetListed.org provided a generous donation of $861, which was a percentage of their fees from a search engine optimization workshop they recently held in Spokane. 

If you would like to help us make camps and workshops available to all area teens, a donation of just $130 supports one teen taking a summer camp.You can donate online, or by sending a check to Tincan, 827 West First AvenueSuite 121, Spokane, WA 99201. Tincan is a 501c3 non-profit organization, and donations to us are tax deductible.

Please donate to our Annual Fund and help us continue our successes. You can send a check to Tincan, 827 West First Avenue, Suite 121, Spokane 99201, or make an online donation DONATE NOW!

Thank you for your generosity.

Spring Break Video Camp

Tincan is holding an advanced teen video production camp March 29 th  to April 2 nd over spring break.  The camp is for students who have participated in at least one video production camp or project with Tincan or can demonstrate a practical working knowledge of digital video camera operations and non-linear editing software.

This year participants will focus on teen suicide prevention and will produce a short film about it for the web and for entry into local and national film festivals. Students will work as a team to produce the film, with each student responsible for a different part of the film from writing, to shooting, to editing, and everything in between.

Science Reporter Club Leaders Learn Investigative Reporting

Teachers leading Tincan's after school Science Reporters Clubs had an opportunity earlier this month to not only learn the fine points of video editing, but also to have a dialogue with KXLY reporter Jeff Humphrey about how to investigate a story and present a balanced viewpoint. Humphrey, a 25-year broadcast journalism veteran, provided examples from his own career of how he presented stories with a "problem-solution": framework, and advised them that viewers should "learn something new" with every broadcast. He talked about the stories that each teachers' clubs were pursuing, and provided on the spot ideas that will help them focus their stories. He also spoke about the future of television journalism, and how tomorrow's reporters will have to have multiple skills, from reporting to video production. He noted how important it was for a good reporter to work closely with their community, and respect the organizations that provide information.  Teachers came away with insights into the journalistic process that will strengthen their club activities. 

The Science Reporters project is a program for middle school girls in ten schools that is funded by the National Science Foundation.

Student Videos Explore Dropping Out and the Transition to High School

Can student filmmakers help us understand why teens drop out of school? With 1 in 3 Spokane students who enter 9 th grade leaving school before graduation, a group of students at Rogers High School set out to explore why so many students decide to drop out when they get to high school. The student video group focused on the transition from middle school to high school. Breaking into three teams, the filmmakers drew on their own experiences and spoke with peers, family members and teachers to get a better understanding of the difficulties of transitioning from middle school to high school. One group used research and street interviews, along with green screen technology to put together a mock-newscast. Another focused on two pieces of the transition to high school: bullies and teachers. The third group used interviews with a wide array of people including  8 th  graders, a high school dropout who earned their GED, and a few high school graduates to provide a better look into why people choose to drop out of high school. The students used the film skills they gained through Tincan programs to make the three films, which will be showcased at Rogers High School on March 24 th at 2:45 pm. 
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