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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Ambreen Qureshi, Executive Director of Educational Video Center
4:45:56
ยท
178 sec
Ambreen Qureshi, Executive Director of Educational Video Center (EVC), testifies on the importance of funding for arts education in New York City. She highlights EVC's impact on BIPOC and working-class youth through media arts education, and emphasizes the critical role of arts programs in helping students earn credits for graduation and explore career paths in media arts.
- EVC has served nearly 1,700 students in the last three years, helping them earn over 2,500 credits towards graduation and $500,000 in paid internships.
- The organization faces high demand but limited funding, often having to waitlist schools and students.
- Qureshi calls for increased funding for arts education programs and the citywide after-school initiative enrichment.
Ambreen Qureshi
4:45:56
Thank you, chair Joseph and chair Rivera and the city council for your steadfast support of arts across New York City.
4:46:02
I'm here as a member of the It Starts Without with the Arts Coalition calling on our city to prioritize funding for arts education.
4:46:10
My name is Ambreen Qureshi and I'm the executive director of EVC Educational Video Center.
4:46:16
EVC's media arts education programming and broader initiatives help young people grow heal, grow, thrive as learners, leaders, and artists.
4:46:25
We build capacity of teachers and public schools to create transformative learning environments and use original media to disrupt systems and narratives harming BIPOC youth and their communities.
4:46:35
For the last forty one years, EVC has supported positive life and career pathways for over 30,000 BIPOC and working class young people.
4:46:44
We've trained over 1,100 teachers and created 245 highly acclaimed youth produced documentaries that have gone on to win over a 80 awards including two White House honors and an Emmy.
4:46:57
Alumni from our programs have gone on to work at the Urban World Film Festival, CNN, and become members of the International Cinematographers Guild.
4:47:06
As the economy tightens and more budget cuts loom, financial constraints are already impacting the EVC community and everyone here testifying.
4:47:15
Some of our partner schools simply do not have the funds for art teachers, yet their students already facing barriers to graduation require arts credits to graduate.
4:47:24
These schools increasingly rely on EVC as a provider of credit bearing arts programming to ensure that their students stay on track to graduate whilst also exploring possible careers in the media arts.
4:47:36
Yet we often have to wait list schools and students because the demand is so high and funds are so scarce.
4:47:43
Over the last three years alone, EVC has served almost 1,700 students who have secured over 2,500 credits towards high school graduation and earned over half a million dollars in paid internships.
4:47:57
Students used their film, EVC films and portfolios to apply for colleges, including youth like Alexis from Brownsville, who never had made a film before EVC.
4:48:06
She received a full scholarship to Ithaca College, graduated from a top film school in New York, became the president of the Black Student Union, and is now working as a production assistant on Marvel's Daredevil.
4:48:19
Without access to our free programs, Alexis and the many young people like her might never realize their dreams to become artists and help make our city a more vibrant, creative, and inclusive democracy.
4:48:29
Alexis is an inspiration for so many, like our current student, Franny, who from East Harlem, who will share her testimony shortly.
4:48:38
We join everyone testifying here today and asking the city to prioritize funding for arts education programs.
4:48:44
We also encourage the city council to increase the overall allocation to the citywide after school initiative enrichment.
4:48:51
Thank you again for your time and support.