The New Media Source is a regional network project within the Tower of Youth. It links educators, organizers, commercial computer artists and professionals involved in digital communications technology. Our focus is accessing and mastering the global compter tools for youth to express themselves, create beauty, promote civic values, and build careers in telecommunications and the arts.

The project provides ongoing mentoring, creative projects, technical and artistic development and resource support for all interested youth spanning individual schools and school districts in six counties comprising the Greater Sacramento valley and Sierra foothill area. The New Media Sourcewas initially founded September, 1996, to produce and enter one minute digital movies into an international Teen Digital Reel competition, a project piloted by the software manufacturer, MetaCreations (previously MetaTools). In its first year, 1996-97, the New Media Source organized a unique multisite network producing the digital movies initially in 16 school and community based production sites which, in the second year, grew to 22 schools, each of which was provided with a $3000 package of Adobe digital movie and graphics software. The fruit of this mobilization led to the First and Second Annual Teen Digital Reel Showcase and Awards held February 7, 1997 and March 8,1998, respectively. Major media personalities, Stan Atkinson (KOVR 13), Kitty O'Neal (KFBK Radio), Kelly Ryan (KCRA 3) and Chris Eddy (Fox 40) hosted the beautiful media events. Afterwards, the Crocker Art Museum created a month long exhibit of the youth winners.

These Teen Digital Reel Showcase events were organized, designed and supported by all volunteer friendships and coordination between school and hi tech businesses sponsored by Apple, Adobe, Tower Records, Ferrari Color, Valley Record Distributors, River City Bank, SMUD, SciTex, Silicon Graphics, Intermag, Crocker Art-Museum, Sprint PCS, The Sacramento Bee & Kinkos. The UC Davis New Media Center Lab provided a series of Saturday training opportunities for youth to gather with their mentors to share their works in progress. Images of this work can be seen on our website (www.towerofyouth.org) . Major commercial quality equipment donations were made through TOY to those school/community groups demonstrating how the use of technology builds community.

Beyond the annual achievement of producing the digital movie competition event, the Tower of Youth is committed to long term regional youth organization, the larger networking picture involving all regional youth interested in careers in radio, television, film, theater and internet learning and creative.

TOY youth have formed a communication arts career guild, the Youth Broadcast and Media Association a stepping stone organization towards a media corporation and decisive voice in the decision making of the Tower of Youth . These Youth aim to become a major community and commercial asset to the society-at-large offering membership, mounting career projects and demonstrating the synergy in combining telecommunications, entertainment, arts and media skills.

Benefits to youth activists, business community, and schools are: