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Blunt Youth Radio Project is one of the oldest and most decorated youth media programs in the United States. It's a weekly, youth produced public affairs radio show on WMPG in Portland, Maine. The hour-long show features two teen hosts who interview guests on topical issues. The team's reporters produce public-radio-style features to expand on the week's theme. Topics range from the serious: the genocide in Darfur - to the light-hearted: teen dating.
Contents
Mission
The mission of Blunt Youth Radio Project is youth empowerment through direct media access.
History
Claire Holman founded the program in response to a dearth of outlets for youth voices. Blunt's first show aired in July 1994. The show has aired weekly ever since without a rerun.
Training
All participants in the program receive free training in hosting, reporting, engineering, and digital audio production.
Current members
The project is led by Claire Holman.
Members include:
Aidan Mitchell
Setareh Jalali
Peter Mazjanis
Sophie Frantz
Milena Germon
Moses Small
Malcolm Purington
Zoe Farr
Jenni Nguyen
Alice Kenny
Elle Spurr
John Adil
Outreach
In addition to Blunt's station-based after school program, Blunt has two off site production centers.
Blunt at Kennedy Park
In partnership with youth entrepreneurs, YOUTHINK and the People's Regional Opportunity Program (PROP), Blunt built community based production studio in Portland's Kennedy Park Peer Leader Program site.
Incarcerated Youth Speak Out
Blunt staff teach a radio production course twice weekly at the Long Creek Youth Development Center, a juvenile correctional facility in South Portland, Maine. Every eight weeks, the participants in our program make a supervised visit to WMPG to broadcast their own work - live.