More than half of all new HIV infections occur in young people ages 15-24, making youth in all demographics most at-risk of contracting the disease. This problem is compounded by the fact that one in four infected individuals does not know his or her status, increasing the risk of transmission to others and the delay of treatment to themselves.
Cable Positive is taking direct aim at HIV infection among the youth demographic with The Youth AIDS Media Institute (YAMI), a ground-breaking initiative made possible by a grant from the Motorola Foundation, that focuses directly on young people and the important role they play in halting the spread of the disease. YAMI's primary mission is to empower youth to take an active interest and make a tangible impact in their communities regarding HIV and AIDS education, prevention and awareness. The institute will educate students about the power and use of new media platforms such as text and video messaging to get this job done.
Students will also have access to an online toolkit that will highlight ways in which they can affect change in their communities. The toolkit will include tips on engaging media, fundraising, and outreach through education and awareness building initiatives and events. Particular technical assistance from Motorola will be placed on using new media platforms, specifically text and video messaging.
Grants of up to $5000 will be given to youth for outreach and/or awareness projects done in their local community. This includes any work that is related to HIV/AIDS education and awareness with a focus on coalition and community building, peer mentoring, and awareness raising projects. The YAMI Community Outreach Grant is interested in engaging youth to think opportunistically and creatively with the goal to maximize reach and effectiveness in regards to HIV/AIDS education, prevention, and awareness.
Application Deadline for the YAMI Community Outreach Grant is June 27th, 2008.
YAMI University (YAMI-U) is an intensive week long training, done twice a year at select campuses, which challenges youth to come up with an integrated advocacy cause-marketing campaign that reaches their peers in their natural environments.
Students go through HIV/AIDS education training; learn about creating, producing, and distributing messages; technical aspects of building a media campaign; learn basics of creating cause-marketing messaging and create a multi-platform media campaign that leverages the notions of advocacy and competition as modes of engagement.
The campaign will then be made available as part of the awareness building media campaigns for AIDS service organizations and community based organizations across the United States. The campaign will allow local organizations to add their own branding and be distributed by Cable Positive.
Starting in August, youth will be able to download an application, or apply online, to be part of the institute. Out of those who apply, fifteen youth will be selected to atted YAMI-U per session.
