E Newsletter

June 2006 E-Newsletter

The school year is officially over and Latinitas outreach is hosting a series of free media camps for girls grades 4th- 8th.

The Latinitas Media Divas Saturday Camp series is held every 4th Saturday of the month from 10:30am to 12:30pm at St. Johns Public Library (7500 Blessing Ave.). Girls can register online or call 512.322.9947.

in this issue

1. Fotos De Mi Alma...Gracias
2. El Dia de Las Madres and Texas State University
3. TRIP in a Nutshell

Latinitas' Fotos de Mi Alma benefit auction featured an exhibition of donations from professional and amateur photographers at the Copa Bar and Restaurant on April 19. The event has been one of our most successful yet, fiscally and artistically. We also received excellent and continuous media exposure from Univision television and Austin's Spanish language weekly paper, Ahora Sí.

All proceeds benefit Latinitas' outreach programs and the launch of Latinitas in print 2007. We would like to thank everyone who donated their masterpieces and those who participated in the silent auction. Without you, this event would have never been possible.

Fotos de Mi Alma Exhibitors

For a service-learning project, students from Texas State University helped Latinitas solicit more online submissions from youth for its web publications this Spring.

The team developed a contest where girls were asked to explain in an essay, poem or art piece why "su mami" was a role model to them. The contest covered Austin and its surroudning communities.

Thank you Lydia Rousey, Christina Estrada, Ann Monk, Dianna E. Sosa, Isabel Tello, Jessica Sanchez, Alysha Hernandez and Dr. Federico Subervi for your commitment to the project.

Winners were recognized by Mayor Will Wynn and Austin's City Council members with a city-wide proclamation acknowledging Latinitas.

Ganadores:

Ever wonder where Latinitas magazine gets its great story ideas and articles?

Well, what you may not realize is we have a group of teen reporters keeping us in the loop on timely issues and topics that they think you (and our other readers) want to know about.

Latinitas Teen Reporter Intern Program (TRIP) is a journalism program where Latina high-school students are mentored and guided by experienced journalists in developing story ideas, conducting interviews, researching stories, writing articles and editing articles.

Teen reporters act as an editorial advisory group helping Latinitas staff with editorial decisions and the direction of the magazine. The club started in September 2004, under the tutelage of Sandie Taylor. Sandie met with teens from all over Austin and then in 2005, the program was invited to Austin's Travis High School and UT senior Kathryn Gonzales and junior Sarah K. Rodriguez joined the TRIP staff.

2005-2006 TRIP Highlights:

• Photo shoot and outing at Café Mundi in East Austin.
  
  
• Teen editorial board meeting on immigration policy.
  
  
• Guest speaker Belinda Acosta, film and TV columnist for the Austin Chronicle, spoke on getting into the journalism game and what it’s like to have her cool job.
  
  
• Teens reviewed UT's version of the Vagina Monologues (click for reviews)
  
  
• Screened Bronze Cinema, a documentary focusing on the representation of Latinos in film.
  
  
• Teen photographers featured work at Latinitas’ Fotos de Mi Alma auction

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Latinitas, Inc. is an Austin-based nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Hispanic girls in media and technology. We accomplish this by publishing a bilingual webzine for Hispanic girls, hosting innovative media workshops in the community, and facilitating an after-school program for junior reporters.