New Orleans youth have a lot to say, and too often they are told to “be quiet” or overlooked. We ask them to “Be Loud.” When youth are trusted to lead and share their stories, their confidence grows and their mental health improves.
It doesn’t stop with them. When youth are heard and connected, they don’t just feel better, they help our city become more caring, creative, and connected.
Be Loud Studios was founded by two teachers in January 2018 following their shared observation that their STEM class fully engaged students who seemed to be academically disengaged in typical classroom settings. In particular, one student initially refused to both write and participate in class when given academic work. When given the opportunity to be on the mic, however, he began filling pages with his ideas, rushing to school so he could record his words and thoughts. This invigorated spark of enthusiasm revealed just how deeply students need real-world practice with creative technology – an outlet to speak up and be heard.
This energy prompted us to grow our small project into a school-wide, student-run radio station. We printed T-shirts and recorded nearly 100 students in the first six months, broadcasting the “show” during carpool hours. Seeing the station’s initial success and the continued desire from and for students to have more voice in their community, we launched Be Loud Studios as an independent 501c3 organization in March 2019.
Be Loud has since worked with over 3,000 teens and 50 schools and organizations through afterschool programs, camps, community partnerships and teacher fellowships.
Specifically on skills like recording with a microphone, writing, editing and mixing, and sharing their work publically.
Building these connections increases the capacity of youth to grow and make mistakes.
Feeling safe and comfortable to be themselves in their space this school year. We proudly prioritize our ability to build positive and inclusive culture alongside kids.
As well as that their kids feel safe and heard in our programs.
We ask kids to speak up to build a more equitable world. Kids need outlets to speak up and be heard, and they need safe places to practice using digital tools. Our culture often devalues the voices of youth, especially BIPOC youth. As a result, we work with students not to teach them creativity, but to amplify the creativity that is already within them. We do this by teaching digital media skills, coaching students on script writing, and finding outlets for kids to be louder. Scroll down to learn more.
Té V. Smith is a Nigerian/American educator and writer with over 15 years of organizational experience. He is the founder of the Amù Primary schools in Nigeria and Kenya. Té also designed an SEL-based curriculum, Colors of A Nation, to probe the dominant & counter-narrative of American history for BIPOC students as a shared story of the United States. He has been awarded residencies and fellowships as a writer, such as the Rhode Island Writers Colony Fellow, the Disney Plus Reimagine Tomorrow Residency, and the Tunnel Vision Poetry Prize. Té is most impassioned about telling and supporting the stories of young people and underrepresented communities. He lectures and teaches creative writing, education reform, and healthy masculinity workshops throughout the United States. Té lives in New Orleans with his family, where you can find him frolicking in the park or nestled in the corner of a cafe, buried in a good novel.
Alex is a dedicated educator with over 10 years of classroom experience. Throughout this time, Alex has stewarded creative schools and learning environments that encourage hands-on learning, student autonomy, and collaborative problem solving. In New Orleans, he founded and manages Be Loud Studios, a non-profit radio station dedicated to amplifying child confidence through radio and digital media production.
Diana has been a proud New Orleans educator for the last fourteen years. She was a founding teacher at Firstline Schools and Bricolage Academy where she taught K-4th grades and coached teachers across the city. Diana has spent her educational career working with educators to promote student voice, integrate antiracist teaching practices, and engage students in culturally relevant learning experiences. Diana, along with Alex, founded Be Loud Studios, a student-run radio program, in response to students wanting a place to write and discuss what was important to them. Diana currently works at Be Loud Studios in fundraising and operations and nationally at Mind Research Institute developing math curriculum that puts students at the center of the learning.
