CYMC — DEBRA KOFFLER

OUR MISSION

Conscious Youth Media Crew encourages youth to become life-long learners and positive, productive community members. Our Mission is to elevate young minds and encourage creative expression to build dialogue and social change.

BACKGROUND

Debra founded CYMC in 2001 as a San Francisco-based digital media training program for youth ages 16-23. During our direct service programming offered from 2001- 2015 and our subsequent collaborative projects, our youth participants learned multimedia arts and filmmaking to develop a creative voice through storytelling, gain marketable technology skills and become involved in the community as young leaders.

CYMC trains youth to make short films that share their diverse and rarely-heard perspectives with audiences around the world. The CYMC curriculum specializes in three layers of learning:

Developing Voice and Identity - creating opportunities for self-growth and reflection
Hands-On Technology- our students use state-of-the-art technology and high-quality instruction from experienced professionals, artists, and community members.
Arts Appreciation - exposure to the arts and arts-related experiences like film screenings, art galleries, museums, and more.

Many CYMC graduates have worked as paid producers on special projects, interned in the media industry, and benefited from our college pathway resources, networks, and opportunities. Our interns have been placed at Electronic Arts, TBWA Chiat Day, Goodby Silverstein, Bay Area Video Coalition, Pacific News Service, Radium Media, Ridley Scott & Associates, and more.

We wish to thank our sponsors over the years. Your support has helped change lives.

WHAT’S NEXT: FILM ACTIVATION FUND

Our latest venture, the Film Activation Fund (FAF), is set to launch in the Fall of 2024 and continues to create new opportunities in media arts and storytelling for underserved communities. The program focuses on young people aged 18-28 who are either students or graduates from community college programs. Through FAF, participants can benefit from further professional development opportunities such as mentorship and specialized training. These additional resources can help raise their skills, increase their employability within the industry, and provide them with more networking opportunities.

We offer a range of programs such as skills-building workshops, guest artist conversations, community-based projects, and localized in-person convening events for networking. Our programming mostly takes place online, so we can reach participants from all across the country, with a special focus on the Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, and New York metropolitan areas. The Film Activation Fund is an opportunity for young people to connect with others, navigate the world meaningfully, and access equal opportunities for success.