Strategic Focus : Cultural Literacy : Megaphone

Megaphone builds on the success of Adobe Youth Voices and the Peapod Academy to provide at-risk teens with technical skill-building and outlets for self-expression through digital arts and music. It adds “layers” of creative activities through a distributed network of community sites and programming partners.

Megaphone Goals:

• Unleash the creativity and passion of teens for impacting their communities
• Help teens build 21st century skills
• Provide access to technology and career training in digital arts and creativity
• Help teens transition to post-secondary education
• Help decrease violence and behavioral issues

Progress to Date: Based on the belief that kids can use video, dance, music, and art to spark social change in their communities, the Adobe Foundation has partnered with the Black Eyed Peas’ Peapod Foundation and the Entertainment Industry Foundation to provide youth from underserved communities access to music and multimedia production tools and the high-tech skills to use them. To that end, they have launched two Peapod Adobe Youth Voices Academies in the San Francisco Bay Area and are about to locate a third in the SoFA district of downtown San Jose. Also, potential partners for adding creative activities to existing and future sites have been identified.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please direct your inquiry to Joshua Russell, Director of Communications and Emerging Initiatives at jrussell@1stact.org