Emerson College and Bird Street Create Downtown Design Tech

BOSTON, Dec. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In response to the tragic Sandy Hook shooting of 2012 Emerson College's President, Lee Pelton, challenged the nation to come together to help stem youth violence. In response, a group of Emerson Professors and Students began the Emerson Bird Street Civic Engagement Project dedicated to dialogue and grass roots efforts. This semester, seniors from Emerson College's Communication Studies Capstone Program have organized a collaboration with youth from the Bird Street Community Center of Dorchester and digital design firm Oomph Inc. of Cambridge to empower local youth with the ability and opportunity to express their passions and interests through web design with a live website.

This Fall, youth from the Bird Street Community Center participated in focus groups to discuss their passion for art and talents in technology. The Emerson College students executed weekly sessions using the college's computer labs. Over the last six weeks, Creative Directors and Program Developers from Oomph Inc. taught the fundamentals of website design. All of these efforts have culminated in preparation for a showcase where the Bird Street students will present the personal websites they have created on Monday, December 1 in the Charles Beard room at 7PM. School of Communication Interim Dean, Phillip Glenn, will deliver remarks commemorating the project.

Neil Harris, the Education Coordinator at Bird Street and a founding partner in the Emerson Bird Street Civic Engagement project, said "this project provides a pathway for the Bird Street students to see the importance of education; this will allow the students to continue their momentum in moving forward and preparing for success in their careers and in life."

Around the time of the Sandy Hook tragedy, Emerson College students wanted to extend importance of learning outside the classroom. While the immediate goal of this project was to teach high school students how to build a website, the long term vision looked to establish a mentorship relationship between 17 Emerson students and 20 Bird Street students to erect dialogue about violence in their community. Randy Boston, a junior at City on the Hill Charter Public School participated in the program and said, "this project has changed what my friends and I talk about; instead of gangs and guns we now discuss college and careers." Boston was an inaugural member of the Emerson Bird Street Projects, having produced an anti-bulling PSA after the Sandy Hook Shootings.

Lauren Amar, a senior Communication Studies student at Emerson, identifies the Emerson Bird Street Collaboration and Civic Engagement project as a prototype given the current situation. Amar states "in light of the events in Ferguson, and the need for continued dialogue and collaboration among diverse communities, the work of the class this semester should be emulated around the country to foster stronger relationships between Colleges and their communities."

This project is the latest endeavor of this unique partnership. The Bird Street Center and Emerson College have been involved in Public Service Announcements (PSA) on anti-violence, as well as weekly workshops since June 2013 between the college and at risk youth in the Dorchester and Boston Communities.

Funding for the project was provided through an Emerson College Consumer Awareness Grant.  More information on this project is available at these resources.

• http://press.emerson.edu/communication-studies/2013/05/15/the-emerson-collegebird-street-civic-engagement-project-an-american-dream-resolving-conflict-through-communication/
• http://www.jsons.org/news/view.php/491791/At-risk-teens-produce-anti-violence-PSAs
• http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/dorchester/2013/07/hold_emerson_college_and_bird_street_community_center_leads.html
• http://www.berkeleybeacon.com/news/2013/9/25/bird-street
• http://ouryouthincrisis.weebly.com/blog/the-emersonbird-street-civic-engagement-initiative
• http://www.bajatimes.com/articlesDetail.asp?sid=3422
• http://www.berkeleybeacon.com/news/2014/2/13/mexican-artists-honor-black-political-leaders-with-painting
• http://touch.metro.us/local/emerson-college-to-hold-candlelight-911-vigil-in-boston-common/tmWmik---f09yQWtpQa31g/
• http://www.berkeleybeacon.com/lifestyle/2014/10/23/emerson-at-bird-street-students-become-the-teachers-74

About Oomph Inc.

Oomph is a full-service digital design and engineering firm assisting premium brands and media companies with large-scale digital publishing and engagement solutions. With experience in WordPress, WordPress.com VIP, and Drupal, Oomph works with clients on strategy, design, and engineering services revolving around these platforms.

About Bird Street Community Center

Bird Street Community Center (BSCC) is an independent nonprofit youth organization serving Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, and Hyde Park. For 35 years, with the active management of community residents, business leaders,  youth, and other stakeholders, Bird Street has thrived, creating and nurturing a community gathering place where children and youth are able to and the support they need to grow into healthy productive adults.

Crystal Witter
Email
617-824-3491

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SOURCE Emerson College