The event was put on for a teenager named Mica, who initiated a Tikkun Olam project at the time of his Bar Mitzvah. To make it short, Mica travelled to Cuba in order to donate baseball equipment to the youth in need. Mica's parents, both film makers, filmed the whole process from start to finish, and made it into a movie, showcasing Mica's efforts.
Because the movie was about a teenager working to create a meaningful project and making a mark on the global community, his parents decided to create a movie premiere and youth activism showcase to see what other teens in the Bay area were working towards. The Diller Teen Fellows program was approached and we were chosen to attend and present our project at the showcase along with four other teen groups such as ourselves.
The event was a fundraiser and sneak preview of the movie, which will be showed at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. While the guests were watching the film, all of the youth activists were setting up their presentation booths upstairs. It was very interesting to go around after setting up to see what other teens in the area were doing. One girl raised money to buy uniforms for Ethiopian school children, while another group was selling South and Central American goods to send the funds back to native villages in need in South America and Central America. It was refreshing to see that other teens are dedicating their time in such unique ways to make a difference in both the local and global community.
After the movie finished, all of the guests came upstairs to schmooze and learn about the projects being presented. We were able to inform many people about our group and hand out flyers. Several guests signed up for our mailing list and were willing to help in any way, which was a great motivator for us.
Overall, it was a great night and a fantastic opportunity to share our project, meet new people, and learn about other youth activism projects being done in our area.
-Philip Caine Cohort 16
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