This is a great project happening right here in our community. Let's all show our support of this project and this group (One by 1, Inc) - doing positive things right here in Washington, DC and improving the quality of life for everybody.
About this project
The Kool Kids Video Project encourages young people to transform themselves and their communities, by becoming the next generation of media makers and confident leaders. The project aims to guide youth in redefining what being "kool" means today. The projects core assumptions are that kool kids can engage in activities that are diverse, positive, and will influence their peers; are comfortable being their own person, and can develop a mature sense of their values that will lead them to understanding what is right and what is wrong; and that kool kids know it's ok to be just a kid that doesn't indulge in adult or age inappropriate behavior, rather finds joy in being young and exudes that to those around them.
Youth as Media Makers
In a society overly saturated with images of violence and age inappropriate behavior, this project allows young people to provide and reinforce alternative images and messages to promote healthy behavior. Each quarter ten middle and high school aged youth document themselves and their peers discussing and demonstrating what kool means. They are prompted through questions, such as, "Think of what is important to you in your life. What is it? Why is it important", to do what they naturally do-influence each other in ways that promote positivity and creativity. With One by 1 staff, youth also participate in a leadership development workshop series to guide their projects. The series covers topics such as school, friends, and parents.
Makes Me Wanna Holla!
This project targets youth and their families in the District of Columbia. According to the Justice Policy Institute, in the Washington DC metro area three out of every four young African American men are expected to serve some time in prison. Many of these young men and women will serve in centers run by other jurisdictions, needlessly costing the district roughly $ 20 million annually, taking away millions from youth programs and employment. Additionally, In 1997, the United States Congress enacted the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act (the "Revitalization Act"). This legislation changed the entire DC prison system first through the closure of the Lorton Correctional Complex, the local facility that housed DC’s adult prisoners and youth offenders, and then through the transfer of all DC prisoners to the responsibility of the Bureau of Prisons. Lorton was the primary institution where prisoners, who were DC residents or imprisoned through its system, were held. The closure of Lorton ushered in a large problem for the District-a gross lack of resources for the re-integration of the male and female DC prison population back to the District. Of the nearly 650,000 individuals that are released across the nation each year, DC individuals are at high rates for returning to prison within 2 years of release due to this gross lack. Additionally, families are ill equipped with information to offer stability to returning family members, which makes successful reintegration more challenging.
At this time in our history, there are more children, who have either one or both parents in prison. In 2000 the numbers were an estimated 1.5 million children. Without strong role models or a supportive family unit, young people turn to peers who also lack positive role models. They are more likely to engage in risky behavior, or be recruited into criminal activities. According to the Children’s Defense Fund, nearly 4,302 children on average are arrested each day.
Many people have been so deeply impacted by prison system, failed re-entry programs. In Confronting Confinement: A Report of the Commission on Safety and Abuse in America’s Prisons, it is estimated that taxpayers pay nearly $ 60 billion annually on prisons and corrections. The high cost of incarceration falls on the back of families and communities. In 2008, Congress enacted the Second Chance program, which authorized $ 165 million for reentry programs. Little to any of these funds have been meaningfully dispersed for programs, and it is unlikely that in today’s economy they will.
Because there is such a lack of healthy parental figures and role models, a gross lack of funds for youth programs and employment, and high rates of incarceration and failed reentry programs, youth are given very few opportunities to engage in meaningful activities where they challenge themselves to be healthy leaders. Kool Kids aims to change the cycle and climate of incarceration, by allowing youth to engage in activities that will prevent incarceration and that shift media influenced culture, towards building healthy communities.
Youth Giving Back
The project seeks to develop the film-making skills of youth, that includes interviewing and editing skills, as well as to have them to give back to their peers. The videos are a tool for youth and community development. The videos are compiled, edited and showcased to the community at the end of each quarter.
The Kool Kids Video Project is a project of One by 1. One by 1 strives to improve the lives of those affected by mass incarceration by providing reintegration service and programs, and through advocacy and policy reform towards system change. We work with youth who are at risk for incarceration, those who are currently incarcerated, individuals who are reintegrating into society, family members impacted, the criminal justice workforce, and decision makers, to create safe and healthy communities that aren't devastated by the impacts of imprisonment. Our programs are designed to offer reentry resources; skill based projects for youth to build self esteem, confidence, and leadership skills; and trainings for service providers, court supervision officials, educators, lawmakers, and stakeholders to successfully support individuals and their families through their journeys to reenter society. It is our belief that individuals want to improve their life outcomes and their communities, and can only do so with access to resources, guidance, support, and effective policies and institutions. One by 1 serves as a vehicle to transforming self and society. For more information visit, www.oneby1inc.org.
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