Choosing a Topic

                Acupuncture has always been a peripheral presence in my life. My dad fell in love with the practice when I was about five. Still, I didn’t really understand how it worked, so I decided to bring it into focus and make a MiND program.

Pre-Production and Shooting

                This was not my first time picking up a camera, but this was my first time doing something documentary-like. Most of my experience has been doing things like this (http://vimeo.com/10729943), more traditional narrative shorts, and goofier stuff.

                Starting with pre-production and continuing through editing, the amount of overlap between this 5-minute piece and the narratives I’ve done was surprising. Both require planning (about twice as much as I end up doing)—technical, creative, and logistic.

                The unpredictability, however, is really where these two storytelling methods intersected for me. In the planning stages, the project drifts and swirls like cumulus ideal, pretty and exciting but not solid.  It’s not until the camera comes out and the people start talking and moving in front of it that the project becomes concrete. Mistakes and obstacles (some stupid, some inevitable) surface and yank that shiny blueprint back to reality. I “filmed” an entire acupuncture treatment for B-roll but didn’t realize that I had neglected to press “record.” One patient didn’t show up for an interview. These events necessitate heightened levels of creativity and flexibility. Since I don’t have that treatment footage, what else can I use for B-roll? How can I keep it interesting and varied? It’s not that I enjoy mistakes or obstacles or have any sort of perspective while they’re occurring, but in retrospect, they end up shaping the project in sometimes not-all-that-bad ways.

                Other than the unforeseeable potholes that sneak into every project, the production stage leads to a more enjoyable form of unpredictability: the little organic moments that only real people can produce. With a script on narrative projects, I never know what line or conversation will really jive with the actors and create something much better than what I imagined or actually wrote. During this project, those gems occurred when the interviews felt more like conversations. 

                After shooting, it is clear that the project will not be its imagined origin, but it’s concrete.

Editing

                This part starts with a digression, but bear with me.

My mom started her orthodontic journey when she was eight years old. Her 1960s braces were probably more like Lil Wayne Grills than current day braces—only less diamond-studded and nerdier. Eight years later, when she was sixteen, the braces came off. It’s not as if her mouth started as a chipped village of fallen dominos. Really, her problems were within normal limits—nothing a slightly skilled orthodontist couldn’t handle. Unfortunately for her, her orthodontist was not slightly skilled, but he was a family friend. His dental recipe: push teeth too far in and close together. Pull teeth out and apart. Repeat. A lot. The emotional and physical pain of eight years of braces was a small price to pay for not offending a peripheral acquaintance.

                At times, during the making of this five-minute program, I have felt like that unskilled orthodontist, yanking back and forth in pursuit of that five-minute smile. Luckily, my program did not have to go to the Sadie Hawkins dance with a mouth full of metal. During the editing process, each minute change I made created the need for three more changes. I went over the five-minute mark then with my figurative red pen, I crossed everything out. If I were not a child of the digital era and I had to use the ol’ Steenbeck to physically cut film, editing would just be a very expensive and artsy way to make confetti.  The figurative eight years of editing orthodontia transformed the project to watch-ability.

                What kept the cutting interesting was that it was a sort of dynamic puzzle that I had created for myself. I had gone out and sought the pieces, and now I had to put them together. Every decision I made—from adjusting the volume to selecting a clip—affected the program in some way. At the last minute, I cut a 30-second anecdote about a nun on dialysis that had been one of my favorite parts and replaced it with a clip about acupuncture in animals. I hadn’t planned to use the second clip at all, but realized it worked much better in the context.  

                If you can swing it, I recommend making your own five-minute program. It’s a great way to learn by doing.

Hannah Levy

MiND TV Intern

Check out Hannah’s Program on Acupuncture

Will Monsanto Vow to Do No Harm?

Guest Blogger: Reverend Nathan Walker, First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia

Directors from Monsanto came to the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia for dinner to discuss the ethics of biotechnology. When asked, “will you vow to do no harm,” Monsanto replied, “We already do no harm.” In the spirit of “Food Revolution” listen to Reverend Nate Walker’s summary of Monsanto’s response to the proposal to develop a modern Hippocratic Oath that could lead the entire field of biotechnology to “do no harm, to do good, and to be just.”

Click here for the full text: http://bit.ly/MinistryWithMonsanto 

Or click here to listen to the audio recording: http://natewalker.podbean.com/2010/07/18/ministry-with-monsanto/

When I was a kid, my parents never used the word “organic” unless I would complain about having to shovel manure out of the horse stalls and off into the garden or woods from our bright green John Deer tractor trailer bed.

“It’s all organic kid; it won’t hurt ya, it’s nature’s fertilizer” my dad would say. And, being me, I would roll my eyes and as I shoveled, I would dream of living in a high rise apartment where the term “organic fertilizer,” or the daily need to weed the vegetable garden would never enter into my daily life. I preferred ballet class, trips to the public library and shopping at the mall to stalls, weeding and picking string beans. We didn’t label it anything at the time, but “organic” and “back to nature” was just how we lived. Like most kids, I kind of took the benefits of my upbringing for granted.

I grew up on an organic family farm after all, with horses as pets and wild raspberries growing up around our swing set. Picturesque, pastoral and home grown. It wasn’t until I had to start fending for myself in “the real world” of post-collegiate life that I realized I had a pretty nice set-up at home.

I now realize how amazing it is to walk out your back door and have all the ingredients for a healthy dinner ripening at your finger tips. Literally, we would have wild organic asparagus for dinner sometimes when it would sprout up – all on its own – just next to the raspberry bush.

Today, I am a city dweller, and I have a whole new appreciation for the life my parents provided to me and my siblings. We were spared from pesticides, preservatives, from hormones and tasteless vegetables. Tomatoes are supposed to be juicy red on the inside you know.

Like many, I find myself trying to grow my own container gardens in the city, while always searching for locally grown organic produce, from local produce stands in my neighborhood.

Just last week, we enjoyed a family dinner where my youngest sister Rebecca and my dad had a flavor, taste-off as to who grew the best sweet, yellow corn. Dad won. He’s been at it for 40 years and has quite perfected the science and the art of growing his own food, with love, at home.

I hope someday to do the same. But for now, I cherish my visits to the family homestead, and shop locally and organically whenever I can.

-Kim Kunda

kkunda@mindtv.org

MiND Marketing Manager (and vegetable enthusiast!)

Walk through Philadelphia and you won’t miss Isaiah Zagar’s prodigious mosaics. They’re all over the city, with many on South Street (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, check this out: http://www.philadelphiasmagicgardens.org/). Look closely at one of Zagar’s pieces and see a rusted bicycle wheel, a shard of mirror, a blown glass bottle. Take a step back, and see the whole picture: an almost overwhelming gathering of color and texture.

Turn on MiND TV, and find stories as different as Zagar’s materials. MiND members represent myriad perspectives and subjects. MiND members tell stories about history, the economy, the culinary world, human rights issues, hip hop dancing, filmmaking, karate, politics, etc.. Take a step back, and start to see an image of our community: what is important to us, what we like to watch, and what excites us. 

Check out some of the diverse member programs on MiND now!

The Jazzy Vegetarian: Festive Zucchini Lasagna

MiND Member: Virtual Media Productions

There are two kinds of vegetarians: those with jazz and those without it—those who embrace the wonderful flavors of meatless ingredients and those who accept blandness. Join Laura Theodore, the Jazzy Vegetarian, as she prepares her delicious and nutritious ‘Festive Zucchini Lasagna.’ Her recipe features fresh basil from her garden, mock meat, and tofu. As a vegetarian, I wanted to dig in, but both vores (herbi- and omni-) could enjoy. Golden Empire, a Chinese restaurant off South Street, called claims to serve two types of food: “vegetarian” and “regular.” This lasagna reminds us that vegetarian food is regular food, and it can exceed greater-than-regular levels of deliciousness. 

Defense of Marriage – By Any Means Necessary?

MiND Member: First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia

In this personal video-letter, Reverend Nate Walker responds to Michael Geer, John Guest, and Alberta Wilson, who all created videos supporting an amendment to the PA constitution to deny marriage equality. This piece relates Christian scripture that says that homosexuals should be “condemned to death” to the motivations of the man who recently open fired during a children’s show held at a Unitarian Universalist church in Knoxville, TN. With respect and eloquence, the Reverend unpacks the term “defense.” “When I hear the word defense,” Reverend Walker says, “I perceive it as if you are defending something and will do so by any means necessary. How would you respond to your constituents about the hate crime that occurred in Knoxville, TN? Would you teach them that such a violence is justified by God?”

Philadelphia’s Illadelph Legends Festival Part II

MiND Member: Rennie Harris Puremovement

Celebrate Philadelphia’s past and present of Hip Hop dancing in this visually-impressive piece. Each year Guggenheim Fellowship recipient Rennie Harris holds the Illadelph Legends Festival at the University of the Arts. The festival remains the longest continually run Hip Hop dance festival dedicated to the preservation and evolution of Hip Hop dance and features the most electrifying innovators and pioneers of the Hip Hop dance movement. Hear from local and international dancers and watch them perform.

What Kind of Person was Bernie Madoff?

MiND Member: The American College

Next to Voldemort, Dick Cheney, and Joseph Stalin, the worst person to switch brains with à la Freaky Friday might be Bernie Madoff.  Luckily, to get the inside scoop on the psychology of this record-setting embezzler, all you have to do is tune into MiND TV. In this piece, author Erin Arvedlund discusses her book, Too Good to Be True, which examines the life of Bernie Madoff, revealing the pathological liar behind the upright public façade. Who was kept in the dark, and who was responsible?

Tony Lankford’s DOWNTOWN The Actor’s Lounge: Rel Dowdell

MiND Member: Anthony Lankford

Take a seat next to up-and-coming director Rel Dowdell as he discusses his current film project, Changing the Game, a feature film about a talented boy who must escape the physically difficult world of North Philadelphia to confront the mentally challenging world of Wall Street and business. Dowdell has been compared to filmmakers Spike Lee and John Singleton. He stresses the study of film as an art and a science.

Be sure to tune in!

Hannah Levy

MiND TV Intern

As LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Pride Month comes to a close, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank everyone for getting involved, and to reflect on the incredible programs, community effort and energy that made this month on MiND an incredible success.

For starters, our little non-profit TV station presented more than 10 hours of feature-length, LGBT documentaries on MiND TV and on globalMiND. These documentaries are important. They tell the diverse and wide-ranging stories of people in the LGBT community - from rural Pennsylvanians to the out and proud in the streets of the Castro in San Francisco.

On MiND, we also presented more than 11 new programs from our staff - and from YOU in the community! Six of these programs, “Mazzoni Center: 30 Years Later,” “LGBT Peer Counseling,” “The Attic Youth Center,” “Giovanni’s Room: Making Gay a Career,” “Knoxville Reflections,” and “My Right Self,” premiered at our “LGBT Stories” event on June 16^th! Thank you to our partners at the Mazzoni Center and at the William Way LGBT Community Center for co-presenting this event with us.

Supporting and being part of the LGBT Community in our region is important to us here at MiND for many reasons. For some of us here - it’s personal; the LGBT community is our community. Simply stated, we care, and we want to do our part. For our organization, it’s important for us to support people and communities who are traditionally marginalized.

MiND is a media outlet for all voices to be heard, and we are especially passionate about providing a forum for voices who don’t usually find representation (or who find misrepresentation) in mainstream media. Our local LGBT community is strong and growing stronger, and here at MiND, we hope we help move that forward.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people often confront homophobia, discrimination, gender hostility, and even hate speech and hate crimes. Did you know that 40% of all homeless youth identify as LGBT? And, according to the non-profit organization, Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gays, 50% of all gay and lesbian youth report that their parents reject them due to their sexual orientation. These are just a few of the realities that we need to overcome and improve.

At MiND, we hope that by airing the programs we air, and by bringing the community together at events to create public dialogue, that we are, in some small way, helping to increase tolerance among different kinds of people, thereby making the community-at-large a little kinder, a little more understanding and a whole lot more supportive. Even if one parent sees our programs, and can understand a little more of where their child is coming from - we think that’s a success.

We can make progress - but we have to do it together. Please share the MiND programs above, and your own programs with others. By sharing our stories, we can make an impact.

Thank you to everyone who submitted videos for LGBT Pride month - your voices help shape the world we live in, and thank you to everyone who is working on the ground level at LGBT organizations in our community.  Your work is appreciated, respected and celebrated.

Thank you,

Kim Kunda

Next Up: Piazza at Schmidts Screening of “LGBT Stories” 

Join us on June 30th for the final screening of “LGBT Stories” on the big screen at The Piazza at Schmidts! See you there, 6-7pm! Email for more info: kkunda@mindtv.org.

Coming Soon: July’s Theme of the Month is “Violence Prevention.”

When I started my job at MiND (then, WYBE) five years ago this month, I asked around for a definition of “independent media.” Mostly, the term was defined as the opposite of commercial media, with no clear definition of its own.

Five years later, I’m now very clear on the meaning of independent media.

For one thing, independent media is built not upon profits, but upon a clear mission. Just about all of our work at MiND: Media Independence is built on two ideas: serve the underserved, and make the world a better place. These are not idle claims; they are represented in every new program we produce, every themed month, every community event. We’re very proud of the programs we’ve produced, and continue to produce, about social issues such as poverty, volunteering, LGBT concerns, the environment, and much, much more.

Independent media tends to be very connected to specific community issues. Last month, we helped to paint a school building in a challenged neighborhood. MiND’s boot camps have inspired new filmmakers to tell stories about children who age out of foster care. We’re proud of the hundreds of programs we’ve created by, with, and for our community–and all of that has happened within the past three years.

Also, independent media is about getting the message out-not about filling a time slot or counting viewers. That’s why MiND has been on television and on the internet from day one, and it’s why we are currently focused on expanding our distribution so that more people can learn from one another. It’s why all of our programs are available for free to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Independent media is not commercial media, so it does not benefit from advertising revenues or other rich sources. Instead, people who invest in independent media are people like you, who take the time to read this blog, to watch MiND, to think critically about the foods we eat, the beliefs we carry, the policy issues, the diversity of our neighborhoods, and so on. Independent media is identified by extremely efficient use of every available dollar–and a constant push toward new projects that will provide the necessary funding to keep the doors open and the mission alive.

Finally, independent media attracts people for whom work must involve a meaningful contribution to making the world a better place. We believe in what we do, and we provide both passion and expertise to promote ideas that are so rarely encountered on television.

As public television struggles to maintain relevance in an increasingly competitive media landscape, independent media provides much of the answer to the unanswered question. The next phase of American public television must take its cue from independent media. It must be built upon a significant local mission, not just an old-style brand; it must serve the underserved; it must be connected to the community at a very personal level and it must focus on getting the message out in every possible way.

I’m thrilled because MiND does all of this, and more, every day. Sure, we can do it better. Sure, we can use more help, more money, more viewers, and more fuel to keep it all growing. But after two years on the air (and on the web) with MiND, five years leading the organization through remarkable changes, and twenty years of WYBE serving the community, there’s a lot to love.

-Howard Blumenthal, CEO of MiND

Hello! My name is Hannah, and I’m a new MiND TV intern. I’ll be blogging from time to time in the coming months.

Maybe it was the fresh-baked vegan blondies, the kickin’ jerk tofu, or the quenching wine, but somehow, I don’t think so. I think the eloquence and participation of the community had more to do with the success of MiND’s LGBT Pride event than its tasty offerings.

Thank you so much to everyone who attended “LGBT Stories” on June 16^th, and thank you to the wonderful members of the panel. You made it great.

“LGBT Stories” kicked off at the William Way Community Center on Spruce Street. After a soulful slam performance by a few members of the Attic Youth Center, MiND’s screening of 5-minute programs beckoned a room of perspectives to speak. Many of the screening’s subjects sat on the panel, including Ron Powers of the Mazzoni Center, Candice Thompson of the William Way Center, Ed Hermance of Giovanni’s Room, Reverend Nathan Walker of the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia, Robert Keith Burns of Colours, and Carrie Jacobs of the Attic Youth Center.  The conversation traveled from the mission of the First Unitarian Church, to the human rights violation of the Anti-Gay Bill in Uganda, to the various ways that the LGBT community can welcome its youthful members.

Time was the only force to curtail the discussion. Though events like this one have to end (at about 8:30), the discourse that they foster can continue to get louder outside of the doors. And for those of you who didn’t make it to the event, there is still ample opportunity to see what LGBT Month on MiND is all about. Tune in for the premiere of our LGBT Month Member Hour!

This thought-provoking hour of programming includes:

Mazzoni: 30 Years Later

Today, the Mazzoni Center is the only Philadelphia-area medical provider that targets the unique health care needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. It is the oldest AIDS service organization in Pennsylvania and the fourth oldest in the nation, but thirty years ago it was simply an idea-the vision of Dr. Walter Lear. Wrought by thirty years of dedication, Lear’s idea transformed from the small group of volunteers that made up Lavender Health to the large, policy-influencing organization, the Mazzoni Center. Watch to see how the Mazzoni Center embodies the mission of LGBT Health and why its namesake, Dr. Peter Mazzoni, would be proud if he could see it today.

My Right Self…Humanistic Portraits

My Right Self is a photo documentary project with transgendered individuals from the Philadelphia area. It features photos and writings from five different individuals and couples who identify as transgendered or gender-variant. Producer Arthur Robinson Williams created this project to help educate broader audiences and provide inspiration for transfolk, especially youth, in search of community and validation. Through his photo work, Williams creates portraits that are balanced rather than narrow, humanistic rather than obsessed with otherness. Dane Menkin, one of the participants in the project, shares his experiences with My Right Self and draws from his own journey.

The Attic Youth Center

The Attic Youth Center creates opportunities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth to develop into healthy, independent, civic-minded adults within a safe and supportive community, and promotes the acceptance of LGBTQ youth in society. The impact that the Attic has had on its youth was evident from their slam poetry performance at MiND’s “LGBT Stories” event. About five young people took their turn with the microphone, and their poignant words reminded the audience that poetry can express truth in a way that makes us listen to it for the first time.

Coming Out Guide/Speaking Out

Coming out is the process in which a person acknowledges and accepts his or her sexual identity and starts to share that with others. In this piece, LGBT Peer Counselors provide advice and information for those who are coming out and for those to whom someone may be coming out. Speaking Out explains different facets of the coming out process: how it is not an instant process that most people come out to strengthen their relationships, and how to seek more information.

Connecting Generations: Giving Back to LGBT Seniors

LGBT seniors not only have to face the difficulties of getting older, but also discrimination against their sexual orientation, social isolation, lack of family support, and other challenges. Two out of three LGBT seniors live alone, and one out of three say that they’d have to hide their sexual identity in a retirement home. The Connecting Generations Program at the William Way Community Center works to ease these challenges by fostering connections between LGBT people across generations. They provide opportunities for meaningful mentoring interactions for younger and older LGBT people. Participants get together at least twice a month for friendly conversation, trips to local attractions, or any number of activities that may interest both participants.

Reflections on Knoxville

Reverend Nate Walker, minister of the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia mourns the death of two Unitarian Universalists who were shot and killed in at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, TN. On Sunday, July 27, 2008, Jim David Adkisson walked into the sanctuary and opened a guitar case, pulled out a 12-gauge shotgun and began firing while the children were performing a musical skit. Two church members were killed — Greg McKendry and Linda Kraeger. Seven more injured. Reverend Walker’s meditations stir remorse and mourning, but they also inspire hope in the power of community and thought about how to respond to acts of violence and bigotry.

State of MiND: Homophobia

Homophobia: an extreme and irrational aversion to homosexuality and homosexual people. State of MiND: Homophobia explores the effects of homophobia on the LGBT community throughout the world. State of MiND is a series that uses statistics to reveal the magnitude of social problems in our country and our community. This piece delves into homophobia in history, abroad, and at home.

As you watch this piece, consider these words about the social and cultural “air” that we breathe by Beverly Daniel Tatum:

“To say that it is not our fault does not relieve us of responsibility. However, we may not

have polluted the air, but we need to take responsibility, along with others, for cleaning it up. Each of us needs to look at our own behavior. Am I perpetuating and reinforcing the

negative messages so pervasive in our culture, or am I seeking to challenge them?”

Join the dialogue and submit your own 5 minute programs about the problems that affect your community.

LGBT Peer Counseling

The LGBT Peer Counseling program at the William Way Community Center offers confidential one-on-one counseling and a safe space to discuss LGBT issues. Dealing with isolation and a lack of social support makes it difficult for some LGBT individuals to get the help and support they need when dealing with issues such as coming out, facing discrimination, or encountering relationship issues. LGBT Peer Counseling cuts through this isolation and provides an outlet for LGBT individuals to feel comfortable discussing their concerns.

The International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission

This piece reflects on the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, which celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2010. IGLHRC works to end discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. Julie Dorf, IGLHRC’s founder, describes the original group as “a bunch of rag-tag street activists and immigrants” who were empowered to fight for LGBT rights worldwide. Then, they managed to get their issues on the tables of the international human rights movement. Today, it has become and international institution and its members speak in front of audiences of world leaders.  IGLHRCs work spans the globe with staff in the Americas, Asia and Africa working to bring human rights to everyone, everywhere.

Making Gay a Career

“In those days, I knew that I did not want to continue in an academic career because I would’ve had to have been in the closet. I either had to stop doing gay stuff in order to get a career together, or I had to figure out how to make gay into a career,” says Ed Hermance, owner of Giovanni’s room. With humor and grace, Hermance talks about the joys and struggles of owning and running an independent gay book store. The store helps individuals discover themselves through reading. Giovanni’s Room, among the oldest gay and lesbian bookstores, was founded in 1973. Giovanni’s Room is the traditional place from which to begin your visit to gay and lesbian Philadelphia.

Alison Bechdel: A Reading From Fun Home

Cartoonist, Alison Bechdel, best known for her comic strip “Dykes To Watch Out For,” visits MiND studios to read from her bestselling memoir, “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic.” Hearing Bechdel read her work brings out the nuances of tone and detail selection. Her words and images meld seamlessly to tell her story. Several publications named “Fun Home” as one of the best books of 2006. It was also nominated for several awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award and three Eisner Awards (one of which it won). “Fun Home” addresses themes of sexual orientation, gender roles, family relationships and the role of literature in understanding oneself and one’s family. For more, check out “A Conversation With Alison Bechdel” and “Creating Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic.”

Be sure to tune in. You may have missed out on the blondies, the tofu, and the wine, but the programs are still here and the dialogue abounds.

Tune in: June 23rd & June 26th at 8pm on MiND TV Channel 35.1

Comcast: 20, 35, 98

Fios: 35

Direct TV: 35

Hannah Levy is an avid eater, sleeper, walker, sitter, and breather. She is excited to be a part of MiND. She spends a lot of time in Philadelphia and Providence, RI.

When asked my favorite quote of all time, I always end up responding the same way – no matter what is happening in my life or in the world at-large, this one sentiment rings true for me:

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” -Mahatma Gandhi.

Whether it’s the choice I make to live a vegan life, or to help an elderly person get something off the shelf in CVS – this sentiment runs as a constant current in the back of my mind.  I believe that kindness and compassion can really lift us all up.

From a media perspective, when politics and bad news plague the media, these messages creep into my heart bringing with them a sense of gloom and frustration about the world I live in each day. And I step back and think – what could I, as one person, really do to make change about these things that make me so upset?

It’s hard to find the energy to push against the forces in our society that attempt to bring us down – whether  we encounter racism, or sexism, or bigotry of any kind, or if we struggle to break through our socio-economic status. And, when you witness this happening to others, it gets incredibly overwhelming.  

But then I remember I can do something about the things that frustrate me about the world, and how when I feel like I have no power to make change – that really, I do. We all do.  It starts with lending a hand, giving a kind word, and standing up for what you believe in. Whether you want to mentor at risk youth, write letters to politicians about a cause important to you, clean-up parks, or spend time with senior citizens, everything we do can help make this world a better place.

And in May on MiND TV, we celebrate the volunteers and mentors who shape our community with helping hands and a giving spirit. MiND is a different kind of media outlet – which you already know if you watch our channels, or have been keeping up with us for the last two years. We are the kind of media outlet that embraces people’s stories. That wants to broadcast the uplifting work of volunteers and mentors in our community, who illustrate how things can change for the better.

All month long we will showcase stories that give us hope. Stories that show us – remind us – what we are capable of contributing to others in our community. We hope you’ll join into the celebration by watching these great documentaries, and by attending our community screening on May 19^th!

Hope to see you there,

-Kim Kunda

Please become part of the effort this May!

Watch MiND’s special programs for “Volunteerism & Mentoring’ Month for inspiration, every Wednesday at Saturday at 8pm.

Attend our special Volunteer & Screening Event! Help us contribute an hour of clean-up at John Welsh Elementary School, and then enjoy a screening of new 5-minute programs about other people making the world a better place!

Purchase MiND’s Book of the Month for May: “Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships” - support for just $30 and get this amazing book rich with knowledge!

This month is presented in partnership with Greater Philadelphia Cares, AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies, John Welsh Elementary School, People’s Emergency Center, The Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, Leadership Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Senior Center, Philadelphia Reads, and viewers like you! Thank you for your support.

New Opportunity for MiND Members

An Open Call for Submissions for MiND TV’s 2010 Theme Months!

It’s time to start submitting programs to all of the awesome themed months we have planned here for 2010 on MiND TV!  It’s never too early to get that head-start on creating those new 5-minute programs.  Learn more about the featured topic for all of the months ahead, take note of the deadlines, and get inspired by watching some related videos already airing on MiND!

For additional information, please visit:
http://www.mindtv.org/styles/mind/www/submit.html

(Or, contact: membership@mindtv.org)

June is LGBT Pride Month
Deadline: May 21, 2010

Join MiND TV in celebrating LGBT culture, history, establishments, groups, artists, activists, and icons by submitting your own 5-minute programs to be added to the mix!  Document all of the great contributions, social movements, and changes taking place in the LGBT community!

Related Videos:

Mazzoni Center: LGBT Health Center

Under the Pink Carpet: Gay Penguins

Bitch: Artist in Progress

Philadelphia Gay News

Alison Bechdel - Reading From “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic”

July is Violence Prevention Month
Deadline: June 18, 2010

Help contribute in the effort to end violence by submitting 5-minute programs for MiND TV’s Violence Prevention Month.  Tell people about organizations that encourage peace and provide support for at-risk individuals, document personal journeys towards recovery and reform, give advice on effective conflict resolution techniques, or show how people are working as a community to end violence in their own neighborhoods.

Related Videos:

The Urban Mourning Project

Homeboy

Michelle Iaia: Conflict Resolution

The Peace Train’s Musical Mission to Bring Peace & Justice in South Africa

Constructing Peace

August is Local Food Month
Deadline: July 23, 2010

MiND TV celebrates the local food movement!  Teach us about history of the local food movement, new developments and trends, the benefits of regional agriculture, farmer’s markets, sustainable farms, or community gardens!  Interview your friendly neighborhood locavore.  Submit 5-minute programs you feel will help show viewers how to “think globally, and act locally!”

Related Videos:

Global Hunger

Just Us For Food Justice: Youth at Bioneers

 State of MiND: Hunger

September is Economic and Community Development Month
Deadline: August 20, 2010

MiND TV’s theme for September highlights economic and community development!  Whether taking a look at creative workforce practices, small businesses, or sustainable economic models, this month is all about making progress and encouraging growth.  Innovators, artists, activists, community leaders-show how people are recharging and revitalizing their neighborhoods and communities!

Related Videos:

Babette Josephs: Causing Trouble (The Good Kind)

Project H.O.M.E. Employment Opportunities

The Gambrel Recreation Center

What is a Connector?

October is Healthy Living Month
Deadline: September 17, 2010

For October, MiND TV is exploring health from the inside-out.  Whether you’re educating people on healthy eating habits, fun ways to exercise, advice for developing a positive self-image, or protecting oneself from illness, we want your input!  Create a 5-minute program about any aspect of healthy living and submit it to us by September 17^th!

Related Videos:

Linda Taylor’s Healthy Raw Recipes: Mock Tuna Salad & Blueberry Smoothie

The Power of Touch

Bellydance: Health Benefits

Yoga Is

November is Voices of Veterans Month
Deadline: October 22, 2010

November is a month to give back to the veterans who have generously served our country.  Make 5-minute programs helping veterans share their own personal experiences, educate viewers on various issues affecting veterans, recognize organizations that assist veterans in need, and express our support for these brave individuals.

Related Videos:

In Their Boots: Homecoming

Guitar Therapy

State of MiND: Veterans of War

Yoga for Veterans

Disability Benefits For Wounded Warriors

December is Alcohol and Drugs Awareness Month
Deadline: November 19, 2010

December is a month to focus on substance abuse awareness.  Provide advice on avoiding peer pressure, take a closer look at the rehabilitation process, examine the dangers of addiction, or honor organizations that specialize in substance abuse prevention or aiding those in need of recovery services.  Submit 5-minute programs that will help educate viewers on the importance of alcohol and drug awareness and avoid destructive behaviors.

Related Videos:

State of MiND: Substance Abuse

PS6: Right to Recovery

We’re all looking forward to your submissions!

Contact us at membership@mindtv.org or 215-483-3900 ext. 223 with any questions!

Hal Solomon
MiND TV Intern

It’s time to celebrate Environmental Month on MiND TV!  Here are just a few of the many inspiring programs MiND TV has been airing, showing how individuals and communities at large are working hard to make this world a cleaner, more sustainable place, and spreading ecological awareness.  Taking on topics ranging from the development of bio-fuels, the importance of recycling, school students planting gardens to beautify their local community, or the business ventures in green technology, see how society is moving forward to support the effort for a healthier planet!  Be sure to switch on MiND TV for our new 5-minute Environmental Month programs debuting Wednesday, April 21 at 8pm!

Nature/Environmental

Growing Minds
Member: Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School
See how the students of the Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School are doing their part to help the environmental movement on a local level!  This narrated photo-diary documents their recent community projects: cleaning up the vacant lot near their school, creating a garden, and painting a mural to celebrate the positive changes they’ve made.  A perfect example of how going green can be a fun and rewarding experience!

2009 Philadelphia Sustainability Awards
Member: Pennsylvania Environmental Council
The Philadelphia Sustainability Awards honor the organizations that endeavor to make Philadelphia a more diligent, environmentally friendly city.  PSA jurors Tanya Seaman and Kirsty Haliday discuss the 2009 winners of these prestigious awards, and elaborate on how these special organizations are promoting the development of a greener, cleaner Philadelphia.

Why Recycle?
Take a tour with Bob Anderson and Shannon Detweiler of Blue Mountain Recycling, who specialize in recycling residential materials.  They discuss the benefits of recycling, explaining how materials such as aluminum, plastic, and cardboard are specifically broken down and turned into other products for practical uses.  They also discuss the importance of reusing resources to limit the amount of waste being dumped into landfills and to encourage conservancy.

Science Nation: Green Gasoline
This addition of Science Nation takes a fascinating look at the research being conducted on alternative fuels.  Chemical Engineer George Huber shows how cellulose from materials such as wood, bark, plant stems, and paper can be used to make a bio-fuel that leaves a zero carbon footprint!  Huber elaborates on plans for ongoing research, increased production, and the future of bio-fuel integration and distribution.

Green Entrepreneurship: No Risk, No Reward
Here’s going green from a business perspective!  This program shows how companies can be environmentally conscious and make money.  Success stories include Green Apple Cleaners, an environmentally friendly dry-cleaning service, and the public transportation services of Minnesota that use renewable energy sources for hybrid electric buses and light rail lines.

A Sustainable Workplace
One Crescent Drive, the Navy Yard Corporate Center, a Platinum LEED certified building serves as an innovator in environmentally aimed architecture.  This structure represents a harmony between business and nature.  With an awareness of pollution prevention and waste reduction, and by employing techniques that make use of natural light and air, One Crescent Drive shows how the essence of green living is moving forward in society and becoming a quality standard in the process of building development.

Thanks everyone!  And make sure to check out the new programs coming up this April!

Hal Solomon
MiND TV Intern