Connectopod™

Changing the Narrative Episode 5- Art is Everywhere

How does art influence us as individuals and as communities? How do we process our world into artistic expression that makes us think, brings us joy, and connects us? In the Story Corps booth at the Annenberg Space for Photography, musician/ film maker Kevin Miles and voice over artist Betsy Foldes Meiman  discuss  the social justice power of photography, a high school football hero Tashad Rutherford (Truth) slams his poem "Outsource," Alynnah Walker and Avery Carter give  cultural wisdom and connection through K-Pop. Stick around after the Connectopod "End Yell" to hear these two soft spoken 11 year olds break out amazing covers (in KOREAN people!) of La Ta Ta and As If It's Your Last, produced by Young Ambition (the perceptive Kevin Miles!). 
 
Visit the Changing the Narrative page on our site for more content and read more about this story on our blog.
 
 
Edited/engineered by Joe Foldes . This is Joe's first fling as a Connectopod editor. He is a musician and freelance web designer/coder based in Brooklyn, NY. 
Created in a 5 week collaboration between Connectopod and The Social Justice Learning Institute, developed and taught by by Andrea Lopez, Daniel P. Castillo, and Betsy Foldes Meiman
Original concept for Changing the Narrative by Daniel P. Castillo.
Changing the Narrative is supported in part by a generous grant from the California Arts Council, a state agency. Learn more at arts.ca.gov 
Thank you! 
 Changing the Narrative is Produced by Betsy Foldes Meiman

Changing the Narrative episode 4- Mountain Top

Sometimes it's hard to see the view. Sometimes there is no view at all. From the "valley" of Inglewood and South Central, Jonathan Zeno shares how the words of slain Black Panthers leader, Fred Hampton, influence his perception of the state of black culture and inspires empathy and strength as he climbs that mountain to a more optimistic outlook.
Avion Warner, whom you will meet in the next episode, shares a poem, written from a dark place, as he struggles with his families eviction from their longtime home amidst the real estate boom exploding in Inglewood. 
Quest tells of Better Days as she works and dreams of her music success. You'll say you knew her when!
 
Music by Young Ambition. You can listen to more of Young Ambition and Quest on SoundCloud.
Correction: Tashad Rutherford is credited in this episode but is not included, but he will actually be featured in the next two episodes. 
Visit the Changing the Narrative page on our site for more content
 
Produced by Betsy Foldes Meiman
Edited/engineered by Joe Foldes . This is Joe's first fling as a Connectopod editor. He is a musician and freelance web designer/coder based in Brooklyn, NY. 
Created in a 5 week collaboration between Connectopod and The Social Justice Learning Institute, developed and taught by by Andrea Lopez, Daniel P. Castillo, and Betsy Foldes Meiman
Original concept for Changing the Narrative by Daniel P. Castillo.
Changing the Narrative is supported in part by a generous grant from the California Arts Council, a state agency. Learn more at arts.ca.gov 
Thank you! 
 
 

Pacoima Rising episode 2: Finding Home. An interview with Jonathan Fein Proano of the International Rescue Committee

What makes a person choose a job in a helping profession? How does one handle with working with a population that has experienced fleeing their homeland? The Connectopod Youth Reporters are marking the end of 2018 with a powerful interview. In this episode, lead interviewer, Angelica Benitez, along with co-reporters, Victoria Benitez and James Alltop, sit down with Jonathan Fein Proano, Citizenship and Financial Capability Coordinator with the International Rescue Committee's Los Angeles / US Programs office. Phew! - that job title is a mouthful - and with good reason! Because Jonathan's job duties working with refugees and asylees in Los Angeles cannot be summed up easily. Both our reporters and Jonathan draw connections between all people who have sought refuge in the United States for many reasons and those that IRC serves. At a time of year when many are spending time with family and loved ones, IRC's work reminds us that there are many who are not able to be with their loved ones at the moment. And yet, there are many people like Jonathan, and many helping organizations ready and willing to serve those "finding their way home" this time of year. We are moved by The International Rescue Commitee's mission, and we think you will be, too!
"Finding Home" is the second episode in a 3 part series requested by wonder librarian, Marcia Melkonian, at the Pacoima Library, paid for by The Nicholas Beck Trust. Connectopod will cover 3 of the nonprofits that uplift and celebrate this dynamic family oriented neighborhood: Arts Incubator, International Rescue Committee, and MEND. Tune in to hear what makes Pacoima great!
Like us and follow us on all the socials @Connectopod 
Wishing you a safe and Happy 2019!
 
 

Pacoima Rising, ep. 1- Home Is Where the Art Is!

 
Reduce, Re-use, Resquache! (warning: saying that word is addictive). This is the mantra of the artists Diana Castro and Cecilia Lopez at Pacoima Beautiful's Arts Incubator,  interviewed by Connectopod reporters Victoria Benitez and James Alltop.
The Arts Incubator (another great word!) is the dynamic new program of Pacoima Beautiful, an organization that has been advocating for environmental equity in the San Fernando Valley since 1996 through clean ups, youth mentorship, grass roots activism and ever developing new programs and initiatives. Director Sandra Ramirez sat down with reporters Angelica Benitez and Sabir Salim at the studios on Van Nuys and Cayuga in Pacoima to understand what exactly is incubating and how!
Pacoima is blooming with colorful murals and arts festivals. Find out how the Arts Incubator program supports and fosters artists to benefit the community. And look for Artvertise on bus shelters near you!
"Home is Where the Art Is" is the first episode in a 3 part series requested by wonder librarian, Marcia Melkonian, at the Pacoima Library, paid for by The Nicholas Beck Trust. Connectopod will cover 3 of the nonprofits that uplift and celebrate this dynamic family oriented neighborhood: Arts Incubator, International Rescue Committee, and MEND. Tune in to hear what makes Pacoima great!
Visit us at Connectopod.net to see what we're up to. Follow us on the socials, please and thank you!
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Produced by Betsy Foldes Meiman
 
 
 

Legacy

This powerful Poem is written and performed by Changing the Narrative Podcaster Jonathan Zeno with a beautiful sound design by Daniel P. Castillo. 
It will be featrured in the upcoming episode of Changing the Narrative entitled "Wanting to Live." This episode centers around Paul Terry's interview with advocates Derek Steele and David Turner about mental health in communites of color.
 
Produced by Betsy Foldes Meiman 
created in a summer program collaboration of Connectopod and the Social Justice Learning Institute funded in part by a generous media arts grant from the California Arts Council, a state agency. Find out more at arts.ca.gov
curriculum created and taught by Andrea Lopez, Daniel P. Castillo, and Betsy Foldes Meiman

changing the Narrative- Ep. 2, From Fairytale to Feminism: A Black Girl in 3 Acts

 Episode 2 of our collaboration with The Social Justice Learning Institute is the identity episode, where every girl finds her path. In these three stories, from the optimism of childhood to the independence of womanhood, and all the trials and joys in between, we meet the real fairy godmothers in the form of friends, grandmas, and moms.
Act 1: Blu's Fairytale - Jessica Diamfimpa's modern fairytale follows a classic princess problem-follow your heart or your duty? How do you code your heart's desire? 
Act 2: The Girl Percieves - Things may be tough in South Central, but Chassydi Crane is her own built in cheer squad. With and open heart and open mind, she shares her own unique all American high school experience.
Act 3: The Woman - From Inglewood to Loyala Marymount,  Dominique Williams finds she is more Dorothy than Cinderella-there's no place like home! The power was hers all along.
 
Music by Young Ambition and  Quest
Follow the links to hear their amazing talent on SoundCloud!
Visit the Changing the Narrative page on our site for more content
 Produced by Betsy Foldes Meiman
Original concept by Daniel P. Castillo
Created in a 5 week collaboration between Connectopod and SJLI developed and taught by by Andrea Lopez, Daniel P. Castillo, and Betsy Foldes Meiman
Sound Design on The Girl Percieves and The Woman by Daniel Castillo
Changing the Narrative is supported in part by a generous grant from the California Arts Council, a state agency. Learn more at arts.ca.gov 
Thank you! 
 
 
 

Changing the Narrative- Episode 1, The Urban Entrepreneur

Welcome to the first episode of Connectopod's collaboration with The Social Justice Learning Institute! These six episodes were created with the youth of Inglewood and other parts of South LA to tell a more nuanced story of their community and experiences than they see in the media. 
With a broad  age range from middleschool to college, the podcasters of this series share an indepth view of the world as they see it. 
So let's begin!
Marcus Pickens is motivated. How do you create a successful internet start up when all of the odds are against you? Find out what it takes to be an Urban Entreprenuer in this episode.
Jonathon Zeno starts us off with a call to remember our power.
Music by Quest
Find out more about Marcus' company Questcutz
Visit the Changing the Narrative page on our site for more content
 
Produced by Betsy Foldes Meiman
Engineered by Daniel P. Castillo
with booth direction by both
based on a 5 week collaboration between Connectopod and SJLI 
developed and taught by by Andrea Lopez, Daniel P. Castillo, and Betsy Foldes Meiman
Original concept by Daniel P. Castillo
 Changing the Narrative is supported in part by a generous grant from the California Arts Council, a state agency. Learn more at arts.ca.gov

Get Schooled by Dr. Gabriel Gutierrez!

How do you go from getting kicked out of school your freshman year of college, to a 'C' student, to a department chair? Through the power of Chicana/o Studies! Connectopodistas, Daniela Catalan and Vicky Benitez, led by Angie Benitez, get schooled by Dr. Gabriel Gutierrez, Chair of the Department of Chicana/o Studies at Cal State Northridge.
 
And you get a two-fer! Thanks to Gabe Evans and Andrew Bidwell of Jukin Media, this making of this episode will be featured on Poke My Heart, a new YoutTube Channel. Watch for it on our social media feeds!
 

Team High Flying JAMJABJACX Ninja Brothers! Life in Classroom 11

Welcome to our very first Guest Podcasters Show! While our core reporters contemplate summer vacation, Connectopod Cofounders Betsy Foldes Meiman and Andrea Lopez headed over to Haskell STEAM Magnet to work with a class of diverse learners taught by the incredible Mrs. H! 
It was a pleasure to meet Mrs. Herbst's elementary class, AKA Team High Flying JAMJABJACX Ninja Brothers! (Say that fast one time . . . now 5 times!) These boys crafted their catchy name using things they found in their classroom. Wondering what JAMJABJACX means? Not only is it fun to say, but it is an acronym made up of all of the first letters of the students' first names:
Jose Castaneda, Adrian Hayes, Marlon Venegas, James Alltop, Andrew Moreno, Balam Garcia, Josiah Luna, Angel Flores, Christopher Moran, and Xavier Morales! JAMJABJACX! Get it?
Listen as our newest (and youngest ever)  contributors share their take on Life in Classroom 11.  You will also be treated to some fabulous Shel Silverstein poems, because we were lucky enough to have one of our podcast workshop days land on Poem in Your Pocket Day!
We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed producing it! 5 weeks of fun, and that's a wrap!
If your child or student participated, and you are so inclined, please take our quick survey. Thank you!
Want to bring our 5 week program to your classroom? email us at aLopez@connectopod.net
Help us bring Connectopod programming to more classrooms by supporting our GoFundMe!
 
 

Gabe Evans- Failure is the Only Option

You read that right! Learn how failure is success in the world of internet. The team, Angelica Benitez, Victoria Benitez, Cuicani Lopez, and quest questioner Laz Meiman, led by Daniella Catalan spend an afternoon with the delightful (yes DELIGHTFUL we say!) Gabe Evans. How did "How to Batman" lead to a career at Jukin Media? Find out here! Thanks Gabe.