Students know instinctively what food injustice looks like in the classroom — utter chaos.
In an award-winning video, mass media students at The 411 Brand Saturday School in Atlanta showed how their peers react when they come to class without proper nutrition. They can’t focus and seem to bounce off the walls.
The teens wrote, acted and produced “The 411 on Food Fuel,” a cellphone video.
It placed among the top 10 of hundreds of entries nationwide for the Newman’s Own Foundation and Mosaic Film Experience project on food justice.
“They did amazing,” instructor Erin Brundage said.
One of her students, Paris Giles, said everyone in the multigrade class had fun making the film and showing the effects of a food desert.
“We decided to have a school scenario, where all these students are distracted. All they eat are Takis (chips) and maybe drink Gatorade,” Paris said. “They don’t have the nutrition that they need and that some people, unfortunately, don’t have.”
Brundage is a professional photographer who volunteers her time to teach the mass media program on Saturdays.
Her students focus on branding, storytelling and creating visuals. They even learned about podcasting by starting a podcast business.
Credit: spe
Credit: spe
The 411 Brand is a nonprofit offering innovative programming in education, entertainment and athletics to middle and high school students across metro Atlanta. It has been an Atlanta staple since its founding in 1992 by John Thomas, a former promotions manager for V-103 radio station.
Saturday School started three years ago and is the organization’s newest offering. Students come to do something tangible in the community or develop their craft, Brundage said.
Thomas said, “The goal was to create something young people would want to do, but then teach from a professional space so they get a head start on their passion.”
Film, music, financial literacy, business marketing and other classes are all taught by professionals in their field.
The organization also sponsors sports academies in flag football, lacrosse, soccer and basketball.
“Everybody who instructs is really intentional,” Brundage said. “It’s something they do on a high level outside of just teaching, and that helps students a lot.”
“In the last two years, we’ve seen traction in the creativity areas,” she added.
Credit: spec
Credit: spec
The 411 Brand reaches 1,000 to 1,200 students through its Saturday School Program and sports academies.
Programs are offered during two 10-week semesters, and students can choose two programs a semester. Class sizes are limited, and there are waiting lists.
Classes meet 9 a.m.-2 p.m., with breakfast and lunch provided. The cost is $820 per semester, with scholarships available for up to 75% of the tuition.
Credit: spec
Credit: spec
Paris, 15, has been part of The 411 Brand mass media program for two years. The 10th grader wants a career as an actress, and classes in mass media and graphic design have helped her become more comfortable with the film industry.
“I love being in front of the camera,” she said. “I just love putting myself in another person’s shoes and being able to create that in my own image and convey to the audience.”
Paris played a significant role in the winning video on food justice. After the class started the project, she went home and researched the term.
“Just to make sure I had the whole idea of what it actually meant and what it could mean in different ways,” she said.
Students pointed out that food justice is much more than having access to food to learn and grow.
Nutritious food opens the door to a lifetime of possibilities. Food represents stories, cultural history, community belonging and so much more, the students said.
“For them to develop that campaign in such a short manner, and for Paris to take the initiative and do more research on the topic, was really fun and refreshing to see,” Brundage said. She said Paris’ deep dive helped develop the storyline.
Credit: spec
Credit: spec
The 411 Brand mass media class received a $1,000 grant to continue to champion food justice, and Paris and Brundage accepted the award in Los Angeles in August.
They attended a screening of the winning films, visited television and film sets, and engaged with industry professionals.
The class also received national attention this year from Sony.
In January, the class was awarded a Sony Create Action grant worth $100,000 in money and equipment to continue storytelling projects about social justice issues.
Students have used the equipment for podcasting and other projects.
THE 411 BRAND
For more information or to request an application for the Saturday School Program or sports academies, visit www.the411brand.com.
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