Some background on PRYME

PRYME has accomplished

Its initial successes because of the encouragement and generosity of the Cleveland, George Gund, Woodruff, Thomas White, Bruening, St. Ann`s and Lubrizol Foundations and the United Black Fund, as well as the United Church of Christ national offices in Cleveland.
PRYME`S programs have effectively reached more than 1500 youth in the greater Cleveland area in the last 10 years. We have been able to reach youth, affirming their ability to communicate things of value while strengthening their communication skills. PRYME gives these same youth new opportunities to experience the world around them while encouraging them to talk about those experiences.

In the last 10 years, youth producers aired radio and television in the Cleveland area under the banner of PRYME Youth Media. These middle school and senior high radio producers met each Monday evening. They worked in one of our Youth Production Teams. With the assistance of an experienced Youth Production Mentor and one of the Adult Production Managers they are producing features, interviews and commentaries which are aired in our Sunday evening and Tuesday afternoon radio show "OUR WORLD".

Some of our teen producers have explored the following topics on radio:

Popular Music`s Influence on Today`s Culture,
Materialism and It`s Impact on Violence,
Racial Stereotyping,
Youth Depression and Suicide,
Going to College,
The National Conference`s "It`s Your Move Program",
Youth Justice/Exploring Teen Courts,
The Bridges That Rock Built,
Teen Parenting,
Recovering From Drug Addiction,
Bob Marley: Performer and Prophet,
Dating Issues,
Youth Empowerment,
Censorship and the Internet,
Date Rape,
Easter and Imagination

Created initially as a mission project of the United Church of Christ Office of Communication at its national office in Cleveland, PRYME`s vision has touched the lives of more than 1500 youth and adults who experienced its interactive tools and educational programs.

We celebrate the fact that our youth producers continue to grow and develop as they move on in their lives. This includes their years in college, professional school and beyond. Two have done particularly well in turning their PRYME years into professional careers in media. One is working with ABC News in Europe while the other is an Associated Press correspondent in Athens.

Today PRYME Youth Media offers several programs that provide a supportive, creative, learning environment to enhance effective written and oral communications skills.

PRYME`s "hands-on" training in media programs for youth provides the cornerstone of its operations. Through the central theme of enhancing youth`s creative self-expression and community impact through mass media communications, PRYME hosts a broad range of programs and events created to supplement learning for our constituencies, public or parochial students in grades 5 - 12 and their adult mentors. Based on the premise that youth and their peers learn by experience, our programs and special projects are interactive-promoting discovery and creativity, stimulating curiosity, building Problem-Solving skills and encouraging cognitive growth and development. The design of each program is from a youth`s perspective, meaning that boys and girls are involved in almost every stage of production.

Emphasizing the centrality of writing enables each teenager to focus on learning through a vast array of interactive opportunities whose primary goal is to enhance and improve a child`s ability to effectively communicate. We introduce them to radio and video production, creative writing and print publication, Web design and Internet publication. In addition to enhanced literacy, communication and writing skills, these opportunities allow youth to acquire skills and knowledge in subject areas like science and (computer-based) technology.
The establishment of hands-on training in media programs for youth opens new doors to learning and life skills. Through providing a variety of stimulating activities to reach teens of all learning styles, PRYME stabilizes and strengthens its unique position in Cleveland`s cultural/educational landscape by building community involvement and providing new learning experiences through its programs, "The Write Way", "PRYME Youth Radio", "M-MAP", "SHOUT OUT Against Violence" and "PRYME-Net".
PRYME Youth Media recently began a new phase of its history. It joined the LISTEN UP! National Youth Media Network this year.

Working together as a national network, Listen Up! Creates a strong sense of solidarity among its producers. It lets them know that their works, and their voices, are important as well as, features on many topics.
They also aired interviews with Professor Michael Eric Dyson of Columbia University, Geoffrey Canada of the Rheedlen Centers in New York; Donna Frisbee of "Rock the Vote" fame; Thiloshini Naidu, South African Radio producer and former PRYME intern and who is now working for the South African Government; Don Cooke, a member of the traveling cast of the Phantom of the Opera and others.
These features all aired as part of our weekly radio show on Tuesday afternoon on WJCU 88.7 FM at 1:00 p.m.
As EMMY Award nominees a few years ago for their television special entitled: YOUTH POWER! - our youth producers were honored guests at the local EMMY Awards at the Renaissance Hotel in Cleveland. And although they were not the winners in their category, Children/Youth Specials, their nomination by itself was rewarding.

The show was awarded an ETA for best Ohio Public Television News and Information Special in 1996. This all capped a year that began for PRYME members in the fall of 1996 when their TV special was produced and aired.

This also included the debut of their production before a live audience for the Federation for Community Planning`s Fall Forum. The program was shown on a large projection screen to an audience of over 150 Cleveland community leaders.

After viewing the program, the youth producers fielded questions for over 45 minutes from the audience. The poise and articulation with which these Cleveland youth responded was an inspiration to those gathered that day. It was a testament to the PRYME program`s success in empowering its youthful participants.
Prior to these awards and accolades they had been awarded a CINE Golden Eagle for their earlier anti-violence after school television specials - STOP THE VIOLENCE and IT`S A MATTER OF RESPECT.
In addition to our local programming experiences PRYME has formed a friendship with Frank Stasio, a freelance producer and trainer with National Public Radio. Frank has done training with our youth in Cleveland and Washington and has partnered on several occasions with us on other local events. Recently he worked with us in leading the Bellefaire Youth forum. PRYME introduced the youth from 8 eastern suburban school districts to radio drama as a tool to stimulate discussion on contemporary issues. Frank has also made it possible for youth from PRYME youth to shadow the cast and crew of ALL THINGS CONSIDERED in Washington, DC. Listen Up! Is funded by the Kellogg Foundation and focuses primarily but not exclusively on helping youth produce and distribute Public Service Announcements on contemporary issues of importance.

In all of PRYME`s programs a broad range of curriculum is created to assist the learning for our constituents. PRYME helps youth develop materials such as written scripts, radio and video productions, web sites, and other age-appropriate activities that help each student to enhance his/her written and oral communication skills. Their interest in reading and research is also promoted. PRYME helps its participants balance their educational careers with their desires to explore a variety of career options, including but not limited to, communications.
Because the topics covered are inclusive and diverse, they enable PRYME youth to reach audiences of diverse ages, needs and interests. All programs, whether for the adult mentors or young producer/writers, are designed to further the goals of interactive, hands-on training in media with an emphasis on writing and oral expression.
In 2002 PRYME became a strategic partner of InterAct Cleveland, Cleveland`s InterFaith community organization. Our program has been growing and continues to develop and broaden the scope of it`s work.