Nyssa Komorowski: Can you tell me what YNation is?

Nahum Mann: YNation brings media, youth, businesses, community, and social enterprises together. We train youth and give them skills and experience so they can find employment in media, but also give them a chance to use media for their own social advantage.

Nyssa: What kind of social advantages?

Nahum: We target issues they might have. A lot of the youth we currently work with have expressed they feel like their voices aren't heard. When they face problems such as racial discrimination, unemployment or living in poverty, there's no outlet, there's no way to find a solution. YNation can give them skills that help them find employment, but they can also use their skills to actually address social issues to create change.

Nyssa: What kind of skills do you teach through YNation?

Nahum: We try to address all the skills needed to become a freelancer.

Nyssa: What does it mean to freelance in media?

Nahum: Freelancing means you market your own skill set, for example, online, through posters, word-of-mouth, and so on. For instance, one of the things we teach is video and audio editing with Adobe. From there they could begin to compile a sample reel, use it to advertise their skills, and gain employment. Some other things we teach are videography, writing, conducting interviews, editing, production of a show on a set, social networking, marketing, and how to create business proposals or sponsorship letters. They might be able to create their own mini media business.

Nyssa: Do you do anything to increase access to technology youth need to do freelance work?

Nahum: Hardware is definitely an obstacle to finding employment in media. Right now we have a supportive partner with ThatChannel.com and they lend their space and equipment. Access is a hurdle that we try to tackle. YNation is currently running a campaign called Creative Spaces to fundraise and raise awareness so we can buy equipment and renovate the space where we facilitate the program. Part of what we do is teach youth how they can use equipment that they might already have. Media work can be as simple as quick videos on a smartphone to update a campaign, or send a video message to someone to ask for sponsorship. Now with Google apps and other developments on the internet, you can do things like edit video through the browser, or share and publish to Youtube. We enable youth to work as much as they can with as little equipment as possible.

Nyssa: Can you tell me more about your campaign, Creative Spaces?

Nahum: The campaign is to raise $5,000 through Indiegogo, a crowdsourcing platform. That money is going toward equipment. Our partner program Out of The Box has already received a Trillium grant for $25,000 that will fund the renovation of our space. We'll be tearing down some walls, soundproofing a recording studio, and remodelling some other space to create a TV studio. The grant will pay for the labour and the strategic planning of the renovations. But the $5,000 Creative Spaces campaign on Indiegogo will pay for soundproofing equipment, mics and cameras, and computers. In the end, YNation will have its own studio.

The campaign ends May 30th. Afterward, on May 31th and June 1st we have an event called Weekend for Change at Coca-Cola Court in Maple Leaf Gardens. The venue has been provided by Ryerson University. There will be a celebrity basketball game the first day, and the second day will be an arts and media expo. A Market Hall will highlight some young entrepreneurs, and young performers and musicians will compete for a prize. It's an opportunity for youth to come together with businesses to showcase their talents and collaborative potential.

Nyssa: How can interested youth access and participate in the YNation program?