As part of a five-year strategic plan launched earlier this year, Interact for Health outlined several priority areas that will guide efforts to tackle urgent health needs and to reduce inequities in the region—which include a strong focus on youth mental health. Fourthwall, in collaboration with Soapbox Media, will highlight several of the Interact For Health grantees and the work they are doing to Amplify Youth Voices.
Interact For Health
Providing funding to ten non profits to support their youth mental health initiatives.
Soapbox Media
Developing the Amplifying Youth Voice series for publication.
Fourthwall Youth Studios
Mentoring youth filmmakers and junior journalists to develop accompanying video stories.
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Stories and Themes
Amplifying Youth Voices will explore gun violence, trauma, mental health in schools, peer-to-peer support, and community connectivity.
The stories will come from Interact For Health grantees. Grantees include Cincinnati Black Theatre Company, Talawanda School District, Youth At The Center, Wordplay, the DAD Initiative, Activities Beyond The Classroom, American Youth Foundation, Center For Healing The Hurt, NKCES, and Northern Kentucky University.
Want to be part of the story?
Fourthwall is hiring youth journalists and crew to help research, write, and produce these video stories, each of which will be published on Soapbox Media.
Unfortunately these are NOT full time summer positions. Our needs are "freelance" for now, hiring on an as needed basis. Rate is $12/hr. If you think this might be for you, throw your name in the hat!
ApplySPOTLIGHT: Cincinnati Black Theatre Company, Shoot With A Camera
Gun violence and the threat of it has adversely affected the mental well-being of countless youth in Greater Cincinnati, as many have experienced a loss of friends or family, or have been exposed to the steady stream of reports of gun violence here and elsewhere.
Addressing this problem can seem overwhelming, but one Greater Cincinnati nonprofit organization, Cincinnati Black Theatre Company, is doing so on a community level. Its “Shoot With a Camera” project was conceived as a way for youth to express themselves in creative and productive ways, and to learn the fundamentals of video production at the same time.
SPOTLIGHT: VOICES at WordPlay
Continuing with our series in collaboration with Soapbox Media on youth mental health, a Fourthwall crew visited with WordPlay in Cincinnati to talk about their initiative, VOICES.
VOICES is WordPlay’s teen poetry and performance programming, which provides opportunities for youth to connect to their communities through publications, performances and community events, deepening programmatic capacity with self-discovery, arts-in-healing and community building at their core.
SPOTLIGHT: Equine Program at Adventure Crew
Continuing with our series in collaboration with Soapbox Media on youth mental health, a Fourthwall youth filmmaking crew visited with Adventure Crew in Cincinnati to talk with some of their youth leaders.
Especially for kids, caring for and riding horses, and simply playing and exploring the outdoors, can bring relief from stress, manage symptoms of depression and anxiety, improve communication skills, build trust, and help them learn how to regulate their emotions. All essential qualities as the community addresses a mental health crisis among its youth.
SPOTLIGHT: Paddlefest at Adventure Crew
Continuing with our series in collaboration with Soapbox Media on youth mental health, a Fourthwall youth filmmaking crew visited with Adventure Crew in Cincinnati to talk with some of their youth leaders at Paddlefest.
Research has shown that engaging in outdoor activity can reduce stress, calm anger, decrease anxiety, and improve memory, attention, and regulate impulse control. Local nonprofit Adventure Crew gives teens opportunities to get outside and have fun, learn, and experience the joy of working and playing together in the outdoors.
