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relativelyLocal - mindful media production, making media that matters Nikol (Nicole Jaquis) in the media & press... I’ve been in so many YouTuber’s and other documentary videos it hard to keep track of everything. I’m just beginning to find where I’ve been and post them here:
computer resource centers NYC Parks & Rec

2005 – 2010 – NYC Parks & Recreation, Computer Resource Centers

  • holistic education

Date: July 2005 > January 2010

Client: NYC Parks & Recreation, City Parks Foundation

Services: Multimedia Educator and Facility Coordinator

computer resource centers NYC Parks & Rec

Various Computer Resource Centers throughout NYC, teaching computer basics, multimedia production and media literacy to youth, adults and seniors

Every day the Computer Resource Centers bridge the “Digital Divide” when members of the communities we serve learn how to use the Internet, word processing, web design, desktop publishing and much more. We do this by introducing children to more productive ways of utilizing computer and technology resources than recreational web surfing, or by helping seniors become acquainted with technology and learn to navigate through Windows and other programs. However, we have reached that point where “bridging the divide” is no longer enough. Now, we need to supply members of our recreation centers with the vehicles to cross it and bring the world to them.
The Computer Resource Centers offer free computer access and instruction to New Yorkers of all ages. We bridge the digital divide by bringing technology, career services and academic and arts programs into all communities throughout New York City.

How I was involved…

10/2007 – 01/2010
on-site
Hamilton Fish Recreation Center (Lower East Side, Manhattan)
Computer Resource Center (CRC)/ RECYouth (Reel Education & Communication for Youth) Coordinator & Multimedia Teacher:
  • Coordinated Multimedia Education Program Development in a community based computer lab, maintaining facility of 10 iMAC G4s, 12 Dell PCs, printers, scanners, photography/digital AV production equipment.
  • Developed & Implemented Curriculum for elementary school aged youth (After School Program), teens (RECYouth multimedia program), adults and seniors learning computer basics, media literacy, multimedia skills, including: digital photography, stop motion / Flash animation, electronic music, video production, web / graphic design, and Social Media.
  • Established and maintained partnerships with alternative education programs at City As School High School, Henry Street Settlement, New Museum, Rhizome and the MIX NYC “A Different Take” LGBTQ Video Production Program.
  • Developed assessment rubrics adopted across multiple centers.
  • Trained staff individually and through presenting at staff development workshops; managed interns.
  • Authored DVDs, developed and maintained websites, created online galleries of studentsí productions, guided participants in setting up YouTube Channels.
  • Co-produced multimedia showcase events, screenings and exhibits.
  • Brought in volunteer mentors, guest teachers and multimedia presenters from the local community.
  • Led Elementary and Middle School Students (in our After-School Program) to create a comic book about recycling, which got the attention of NYC Parks & Recreationís upper management, resulting in their providing our park with recycling bins and scheduling weekly pick-ups for the recyclables we collected around our park.
  • Facilitated the production of student multimedia projects: over 35 videos, over 40 music tracks, several photography / graphic art portfolios and websites.
07/2007 – 02/2008
on-site
Chelsea Recreation Center, CRC / RECYouth headquarters (Manhattan)
RECYouth Administrative Assistant
  • Reorganized hard-drives to create archive of all multimedia content produced since 2003.
  • Developed archival file naming conventions adopted across multiple RECYouth centers.
  • Designed and Produced multimedia marketing materials, including copy writing, website & brochure design. 
07/2007 – 12/2007
on-site
Sunset Park (Brooklyn) & Tony Dapolito Recreation Centers (West Village)
RECYouth (Reel Education & Communication for Youth) Coordinator & Multimedia Teacher
  • Taught Elementary to High School aged students: digital photography, stop motion animation, electronic music and video production.
  • Trained the Computer Resource Center (CRC) coordinator to implement the RECYouth multimedia curriculum upon my departure, ie. promotion.
07/2007 – 08/2007
on-site
Sunset Park Recreation Center (Brooklyn)
Summer 2007 Girlsí Photography Program Teacher
  • Taught a group of student Interns (Summer Youth Employment Program) digital photography (manual settings for focus, aperture, shutter speed, and depth of field) with Sony a100 SLR cameras & Photoshop.
  • Facilitated production of print and web portfolios 
  • Curated exhibition at Director’s Guild Theater during the 4th RECYouth Multimedia Festival.
07/2007 – 12/2007
on-site
City Parks Foundation, Hook Productions, Youth Technology Program at Red Hook Recreation Center (Brooklyn, NY)
Web Development Consultant & Teacher  
  • Developed Flash mp3 player and slideshows to showcase students’ work online
  • Taught basic HTML & CSS to Summer Youth Employment Program interns, enabling them to create their own profile pages.
07/2005 – 12/2006
on-site
City Parks Foundation, Hook Productions, Youth Technology Program at Red Hook Recreation Center (Brooklyn, NY)
Co-Coordinator / Video & New Media Teacher
  • Developed and implemented multimedia curriculum & equipment base for startup youth media production house.
  • Taught camera skills, video editing, graphic / web design to youth aged 13-18.
  • Projects included: producing documentary shorts about Red Hook, Brooklyn, specifically how the neighborhood is affected by waterfront redevelopment, gentrification and police brutality within the NYC Housing Projects.
  • Authored DVDs and developed website to showcase student work.
  • Gave outreach presentations at neighborhood schools and community organizations.

Student Productions I facilitated:

  • Gentrification Stories (working title) A series of shorts exploring the effects of gentrification on Lower East Side and East Village businesses.
  • Rachel.  Dir. Michael Mendoza. 2009, narrative video, color, sound, 5 min. A young woman remembers being molested by her father and kicked out of her house by her mother. Having survived these traumas, she now has the opportunity to look towards the future.
  • Lippy.  Dir. Aisha Abdullah. 2009, experimental video, color, sound, 5 min. Young people of different shapes, sizes, colors, races, and genders stand in front of a blank wall. Black and white fast and slow-moving images combine to form this meditation on humanity.
  • The Decision.  Dir. L.S. Serrano. 2009, narrative video, color, sound, 5 min. Alex is a gay, undocumented, Latino immigrant who is trying to find his place in New York City. He is in a relationship with a boy named Ryan, but after hearing that his transgendered friend has been deported, he faces a tough decision: Should he stay in his relationship and risk the same fate? Or find a woman and deny who he really is?
  • How it Ends.  Dir. Victoria Ruiz. 2009, narrative video, color, sound, 5 min. A young lesbian, Chichi tries to survive high school and find love. With her best friend’s encouragement, she starts to flirt with the popular girl, who has a boyfriend. Her classmates had already been taunting her for being gay, but now she could be in even bigger danger.
  • Just Disappeared.  Dir. Michael Place. 2009, documentary video, color, sound, 5 min. This is the trailer for a documentary in which filmmaker Michael Place uses his personal experiences as an entryway into a larger exploration of NYC’s foster care system. In this segment, Place focuses on his own journey: from being taken away from his school after opening up about his mother’s drug addiction to speaking in from of classmates, friends, teachers, and family members at his high school graduation. He combines footage of important moments, like a hug with his mom at graduation, and interviews with family members and neighbors from his past.
  • Chill With Me. Dir. Ham Fish SYEP, lyrics & vocals: Kenneth Blassingame, Music: Shawn Richardson, Editor: Samuel Banfield. 2009 music video, color sound, 04:04mins
  • Boys Will Be Boys Dir. Ashley Nieves Questioning a diverse array of students at City as School High School in New York City’s West Village, filmmaker Ashley Nieves attempts to answer, What is it that makes boys more distracted and not as successful in school?
  • The Train Incident. Dir. Shawn Richardson. Desperate times cause for desperate measures when it comes to subway travel, however unfortunate the implications.
  • The Season. Dir. Christian Herrera. 20 seconds of Inspiration.
RECYouthLogo
City Park Foundation, Hook Productions, Red Hook Recreation Center