AYV Partner Appreciation Events Around The World: Mexico City Part 1

It has been an honour for TakingITGlobal to work in partnership with the Adobe Youth Voice program to engage and empower youth across the globe. This work could not be done without the support and dedication of our fantastic partners. To celebrate and appreciate the efforts and impacts of our partner organizations, we are hosting AYV Appreciation Events around the world. So far there have been AYV Appreciation Events held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, New York, USA and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Our next celebration event takes us to Mexico City, Mexico!

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One of our most diligent and enthusiastic sites in Mexico City graciously hosted the event. This celebration wonderfully embodied the creativity and youthful energy of the Adobe Youth Voices program. The event took place over two days and included imaginative student performances, opportunities for youth to discuss and share their digital media, screenings of AYV videos, exhibitions of art pieces, workshops, speakers, and even an artistic cake!

Youth presented their art pieces and shared their intentions, motivations, and the process of creating it. It was particularly moving to hear youth share personal impact stories about the AYV program and what they learned as a result of it.

Camila recalled her experience in creating a video for the AYV program and the various challenges that she encountered along the way. She turned the points of disappointment into learning experiences that would strengthen her future creative work.

Another inspiring youth, Gabriela, who is currently taking the AYV Sprout e-course expressed her gratitude for this opportunity. In the past six weeks of the course, she has learned a lot of valuable lessons that are helping her transform her idea into a reality.

Yunuen, the educator at the Peterson school, shared one story that emphasized the impact of the Adobe Youth Voices Scholarship. One of their students from this past year, Micaela Bolaños, came from a less privileged background. Micaela was an exceptional student and passionate about using the arts for social change. She was planning to take a year off after graduating high school to work to raise enough money to go to university. After winning one of the scholarships from Adobe that covered 80% of her tuition, she was able to go directly to university in the United States to major in the arts. This was a life-changing experience for her as an individual that also had an impact on the Peterson School community as a whole.

On the second day of the event, a group of 30 participants and educators from Fundación Proaccesso’s AYV programs were able to attend. This allowed for a rich sharing experience between the two partner organizations. The attendees came from diverse backgrounds and shared distinct perspectives. This experience fit perfectly with the essence of AYV programs which promote global sharing through storytelling.

Workshops were held in both English and Spanish by our AYV Project Coordinator, Ronit Schwabe, on Building Creative Confidence. Through games, activities and discussions, youth participants and educators reflected and shared the types of blocks they encountered in their creative confidence and how to overcome those challenges. The way in which art can have an impact on others to inspire and ignite meaningful conversations was demonstrated through the use of the AYV Card Decks.

Overall, this event demonstrated how art is a process that allows us to grow as individuals but it also allows us to strengthen our communities. I am certain that each of the youth participants celebrated here will continue in their artistic journeys in the future and we wish them the very best as they do. We look forward to the great things they will continue to accomplish.

Thank you!

A special thank you to Yunuen de la Mora and the team at the Peterson School for their outstanding contributions to the Adobe Youth Voices program this year. Your efforts are part of a global movement to empower youth to have their voices heard worldwide through the creative use of digital media. Our celebration is meant to extend our sincerest gratitude to all of the educators and participants for being a dedicated part of the Adobe Youth Voices Program. The full impact of the program would not be possible without your commitment and dedication.