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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Francesca "Franny" Thomas, Student from Lower East Side Preparatory High School
4:48:56
ยท
3 min
Francesca "Franny" Thomas, a senior at Lower East Side Preparatory High School, shares her experience with the Educational Video Center (EVC) and advocates for continued funding of arts education programs in New York City. She highlights how EVC has shaped her future career path and personal growth through documentary filmmaking.
- Franny has produced seven documentaries over two years at EVC, including one that won an award at the Haitian Dominican Film Festival
- She emphasizes the importance of arts programs in bringing diverse students together, building confidence, and developing skills for future jobs
- Franny will be attending City College to study film production, a career path she discovered through her participation in EVC
High School Student
4:48:56
Good afternoon, everyone.
4:48:59
My name is Francesca Thomas, but you could call me Franny.
4:49:03
I prefer to be called Franny.
4:49:05
Thank you.
4:49:07
I am a youth producer at Educational Video Center or EVC as we like to call it.
4:49:13
I am currently a senior at Lower East Side Preparatory High School.
4:49:18
I am from East Harlem, born and raised, and I have been in New York City my whole life.
4:49:24
I am the daughter of two immigrant parents from Honduras, I mean, Honduras.
4:49:30
Immigrants deserve to be heard and share their stories and not to be judged from for the color of their skin.
4:49:38
My journey at EVC has been a long one.
4:49:41
I've been in EVC youth documentary workshop program for two years now and have made seven documentaries about stories that me and my peers want to tell from our perspective.
4:49:54
All these documentaries I did were a group of students from diverse backgrounds and I really like working together with them.
4:50:02
We learned a lot from each other.
4:50:04
EVC is a safe space where students can be themselves and we work together as equals in our classroom.
4:50:11
I have learned and grown a lot at EVC over the last two years.
4:50:16
I really like interviewing, doing research, using the green screen, and editing on Adobe.
4:50:22
I like helping my peers who are just learning to edit too, and did I mention I like making new friends?
4:50:30
I I am currently making my final documentary this semester on the housing crisis in New York City before going off to college.
4:50:41
I am proud to share that I pitched this topic to my group and students voted on it.
4:50:46
A film that I made with other students last year called The Grass isn't Always Greener, about workplace exportation of migrants was selected to the Haitian Dominican Film Festival and I got to attend.
4:51:00
It was the first film festival I have ever been to and our film was the only one made by high school students.
4:51:07
I was nervous because I didn't know what to expect from people watching the film, but they loved it and we won an award.
4:51:15
At the festival, I realized how much EVC has changed my life and how much work me and the group put into this documentary.
4:51:24
It was a special moment I won't ever forget.
4:51:28
I will be attending City College in the fall and will be studying film production.
4:51:34
If I didn't have access to EVC's program, I wouldn't know what I wanted to do in the future.
4:51:41
I would have been stuck for the rest of my life trying to figure things out.
4:51:46
I am I am speaking out today because I want to make sure all students across New York also get access to life changing arts programs like I did.
4:51:56
This will make our city a better place.
4:51:59
I think the city council should fund organizations like EVC and many more arts organizations because they bring diverse students together to just create.
4:52:11
They help build young people's confidence inside and out and help make art about social issues in New York City and the rest of the world as well.
4:52:20
If funding is cut for arts education across all schools, it will be very sad because art is a way for students to express themselves and also to learn skills for future jobs.
4:52:33
Also, EVC stands on business all the time.
4:52:37
Throughout making films, EVC has helped me and other youth to speak out, stand on what we believe in, and fighting for our power and rights and not letting others tear us down.
4:52:49
We all have a story to share.
4:52:51
Thank you.