Continuing UREC’s tradition of programming that promotes collaboration, literary and research skills in our high school participants, teen participants, led by UREC facilitators, will learn local Underground Railroad history and create innovative, multimedia educational experiences targeted to their age group. The teens will take on the role of consultant with UREC to address a need for programming that is more appealing to teens. Through the process of project development, teens will advance skills in research, attention to detail, analysis, and critical thinking.

Teens will start learning the process of researching and interpreting local Underground Railroad history through the creation of a collection of non-fiction, historical short comic stories. They will later explore these research and interpretation skills through other mediums, including performance and documentary filmmaking. This is a unique opportunity for the teens to dictate how UREC’s history and mission can best be constructed for a youth audience while learning transferable skills for their future careers.  This teen-led process will encourage growth in adaptability, professionalism, attention to detail, time-management, and public speaking as they determine how the project takes shape.

By creating comics for younger audiences, participants will learn to balance creative choices and primary source information. By exploring creative methods for telling local stories of the underground railroad, students will gain pride by retelling local history to audiences made up of their peers and community members. Staff will facilitate exercises emphasizing teamwork, critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork. Teens will utilize collaborative skills as they plan and execute daily objectives as they work towards their larger goals.

YALI Meets every Thursday from 3:30-5pm at Albany High School. Contact Marcus Kwame Anderson at 518-621-7793 or at marcus.urec08@gmail.com  for information on how to participate.