DecodeMe Space
Anti-bullying songwriting workshops with real producers, design and tech professionals!
Project Description
Decode Me Space wants to host a series of anti-bullying arts-based workshops where students build a digital communication resource for the 2017-2018 school year! We need YOUR help to hire quality mentors, materials and catering to make each session a celebration! Please contribute what you can to our $2,000 goal for our next two meetups at the GLCCB and Allovue.
Past mentors have included Kariz Marcel, Unique Robinson of Dew More and Eze Jackson at the Motor House for a Back to School Songwriting Workshop and Block Party (9/23/17). Students reflected on how superheroes have the choice to use their power to empower others and to collaborate to form teams. They identified their superpower, partnered with professional lyricists and MCs and recorded their verses into a collaborative song.
Our launch party (9/16/17) at Open Works Baltimore was epic! We were joined by surprise guest speaker, Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby Esq, and had a awesome mentor panel with Shervonne Cherry (Community Manager of Spark Baltimore), Crystal Coache (Director of Talent at Allovue/Fearless Consultant) and Charlotte James (Communications Director of Code In the Schools). We unpacked bullying situations into emoji to identify the emotions both parties bring to the table every day.
Our mentors discussed ways to empower peergroups, seek out mentorship and gain personal confidence through volunteering and trying new things.
Each session is roughly $2,000 and our goal is to raise money for either 6 or 12 for the coming year.
So far, we have a regular space at the GLCCB and spots at Allovue until November. Our hope is to also expand to workshops in DC, VA and the Eastern Sea Board!
Our Flex Goals:
Additional session sites have been reserved for September 29, 2017 at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore where we will help the youth build their YouTube channel and November at Allovue.
With your contribution, we can continue to connect mentors with youth and expand our workshop resources so this is a sustainably funded event. Funding goes towards programming fees, mentor honorariums, catering, art supplies and space rental. Long term, Decode Me aims to raise money to have designated classroom tech (set of tablets and scribes) to expand our digital design, filmmaking, writing and music production curriculum and web hosting as we continue to build our website resource. Over time, we would look into funding conferences or day long workshops.
Read about our 9/16/17 launch in Technical.ly Baltimore: "How emoji helped girls start a conversation about bullying."
(with special guest Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby Esq, and panelists Shervonne Cherry, Crystal Coache and Charlotte James.)
Visit decodeme.space for upcoming sessions or if you would like to be a mentor!
Want to start a session partnership? Contact: [email protected]
Learn more about my past youth events, programming experience, and press through my profile links!
kmzrk.wordpress.com
http://liberty64techkids.weebly.com
Or follow on IG and Twitter @kmzrk
FB: Decode Me Space
Updates
The Campaign FAQs
This project sparked from a fortunate meeting paired with a quick deadline.
Decode Me Space is the brainchild of Kathleen Mazurek, a designer and educator from Baltimore, Maryland. A Baltimore Women in Tech Microgrant has seeded the program in 2017 and additional funding will help the project build a greater presence in Baltimore City.
Our launch day at Open Works is September 16th 2017 from 12-2pm and this program has already created so much buzz, I was invited to host ANOTHER sister event, the week afterwards at Motor House! The risks involved are mostly financial, but if everyone takes the time to contribute even $10 to $20 at a time, we can cover the staffing and event planning costs needed to successfully fund the operations of the day. Ensuring that our professionals leading this workshop are given a fair amount for their services. This is paramount to the mission of Decode Me Space and you contribution and sharing of this campaign will help us provide a quality emotional outlet for Baltimore City's youth!
As of now, the Decode Me Team is facilitated by Kathleen Mazurek after she clocks out as a research assistant but aims to be agile as it grows into various host spaces.
I See You and I Support Your Growth
Come Back Again Sometime
Personalized Sketch Book Design
Tote/Shirt Combo
Your name would be featured on the Decode Me Space website as benefactor. Students will have the option to upload thank you cards to your subpage at every event.
Rewards
I See You and I Support Your Growth
Come Back Again Sometime
Personalized Sketch Book Design
Tote/Shirt Combo
Your name would be featured on the Decode Me Space website as benefactor. Students will have the option to upload thank you cards to your subpage at every event.