A Podcast Studio is Inaugurated for Youths

Today, a group of youth leaders who have completed a visit to the U.S have opened a podcast action centre and studio with the support of the U.S Embassy and the Love Foundation. The project is designed to keep the youths engaged on difficult topics affecting them, through podcasts that are held from their own studio. The venue at the former Belize Friends School building on Central American Boulevard in Port Loyola, is where the youths gather to discuss their challenges and share those experiences via podcasts. It all came together when their application to the U.S Embassy for grant funding, with support from the Love Foundation, came through. The U.S Embassy’s Public Affairs Officer, Luke Martin said the project received forty thousand U.S, dollars.

 

Luke Martin, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy

“Some of our youth ambassadors that went to the United States. Once they came back, they applied for an alumni grant working with Love Foundation and also with the Friends United Meeting here, the Friends School to try to get a this is a media hub they’re going to use for south side kids in the school here.  Teaching them about social media, teaching them how to record podcasts, and how to talk about difficult subjects on their podcasts as well. So it’s a great opportunity for them to really understand media environment, practical skills for them in the future too. The grant itself is called the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund, A.E.I.F., and for any us exchange alumni that come back to Belize they are able to qualify. They can apply for these. It’s actually super competitive. So we were glad that along with love Foundation, the youth ambassadors, that they were recognized for a really strong proposal and were granted this money. So we encourage all our alumni to apply for things like this because there’s great opportunities to engage with the communities here.”