Just before
Hines Ward joined students at Clairton High School to mentor one of them as part of an NFL program (airing Feb. 10 on USA Network), the students spoke their minds to
Hear Me.
Hear Me, a project of Carnegie Mellon University's CREATE Lab (Community Robotics, Education and Technology Empowerment), has collected thousands of stories from area students about their neighborhoods and their futures. The
Clairton kids spoke out about their "desire to raise their community up, become role models and to be seen and heard as positive people," according to Hear Me Project Coordinator Ryan Hoffman.
They were participating in Hear Me 101, a year-long video advocacy program during which students focus on changes they want to create in their communities or schools, creating video projects on community service and profiles of local change-makers. The students finished a production workshop hosted by Pittsburgh Filmmakers on Feb. 4 and will begin shooting this week to complete their projects by April 23, according to Jessica Pachuta, project manager. Steel Valley, McKeesport and Woodland Hills are also in the program.
Listen to some of the Clairton students and their stories now. As 10th-grader Marcaysia says, “We want to show that we have more to offer than just football”:
Carlton, in 11
th grade, who was mentored by Hines Ward, wants to see more programs for kids and discusses the need for older kids to be positive role models;
Markea, in 12
th grade, talks about the lack of activities in Clairton and the power of media to inspire positive change in the community;
Chelsea, in 12
th grade, discusses the value of kids speaking out about what matters to them;
Nicole, in 12
th grade, addresses violence and her desire for a safer community; and
Marcaysia, in 10
th grade, wants students to improve themselves and help each other, hoping to see more activities in the area and more help from adults.
Writer:
Marty Levine
Source: Ryan Hoffman, Hear Me
Audio recorded and edited by
The Consortium for Public Education