Frederick Douglass Academy Students Take Part in Media Workshop

Eleven students from the Frederick Douglass Academy in Harlem spent a week in Ithaca this July, getting a taste of life in an upstate college town and taking part in a media workshop.

After dividing into two groups--one centered on video, under the tutelage of assistant professor of television-radio Gossa Tsegaye, and the other concentrated on print journalism and taught by assistant professor of television-radio Mead Loop--the students visited the Sciencenter, the Ithaca Journal, and the Community Gardens and then reported on their experiences. The video group learned the basics of shooting and editing and produced a documentary. The print group employed digital cameras as well as various graphics and design programs to publish an eight-page newspaper.

The goal of the workshop was to give the students a knowledge of equipment and techniques that they could share with their fellow students back home. All 11 students received certificates on completion of the workshop, which is now in its second year.

Ithaca College and the Frederick Douglass Academy, a public high school, formed a partnership in 1998 to enhance educational opportunities at both institutions.