Unsung Heroes: Stories of Bay Area Changemakers
Youth Podcast Program
Balay Kreative is excited to unveil its newest Youth Podcast Scholarship Program, “Unsung Heroes: Stories of Bay Area Changemakers.” Scholarship recipients will have the opportunity to attend a summer series of 8 creative storytelling & podcast workshops, learn editing software, and produce their own 45 minute podcast episode. At the end of the summer program, THREE students will be selected by a panel of industry professionals to have their episode published on the Cultural Kultivators podcast in Fall 2024.
A judging panel will review all applications and choose 15 students to receive the scholarship valued at $6,000.
These workshops will teach students interviewing skills, the importance of storytelling, documenting oral history, and how to start a podcast. The summer series of workshops will end with a culminating event in the Fall where students will present part of their work as a celebration of Bay Area changemakers and trailblazers.
“Unsung Heroes” is a BIPOC youth-focused podcast project that tells the stories of inspiring individuals and their achievements. Each episode features different guests who share their personal journey, challenges they have faced, and advice for young creatives. We aim to showcase the diversity and strength of our community, and to provide role models for young listeners. You, the hosts, will bring a fresh and relatable perspective to the conversations.
Participants must be able to commit to all eight of the regular meetings/workshops for the duration of the podcast program.
Starting Wednesday, June 12th, 2024, workshops will be held remotely every Wednesday from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.
Application Deadline: May 15, 2024
Qualifications
Must be a current high school student and enrolled in a high school within the San Francisco Bay Area
Must be currently enrolled in high school (grades 9-12) for the 2024 school year
As a BIPOC focused program, we highly encourage Black, Indigenous, and students of color to apply. You do not have to be Filipinx-American to apply.
Must have an interest in storytelling, podcasting, and/or the Filipino American experience.
Have access to 2 smartphones and a computer compatible with Descript software.
Some perks of the new “Unsung Heroes” youth podcast program may include:
Opportunities to learn about podcasting and audio production from experts in the field.
The chance to have their voice and experiences heard by a wider audience.
The opportunity to develop and showcase their storytelling and communication skills.
The opportunity to be mentored by experienced artists and creatives.
The chance to gain valuable experience in storytelling, journalism, and public speaking.
The possibility to have their work featured on the Cultural Kultivators podcast and promoted to a wider audience.
The chance to contribute to the conversation about important issues facing youth today.
The opportunity to connect with other youth and build a sense of community
Exposure and recognition for their work through the podcast and associated marketing and promotional materials.
The chance to be a part of a project that highlights and celebrates the diverse and rich history of Filipino Americans & the greater BIPOC community.
At the end of the 8 class program and after completing their final podcast episodes, THREE students who are chosen to publish their episodes will receive a producers’ stipend for their participation and their podcast interview will be featured on the Cultural Kultivators podcast.
Selected students will also receive a letter of recommendation from Balay Kreative’s Program Manager for their college applications.
Meet our 2023 Summer Cohort!
My name is Benedict Del Rosario and I am a junior at Summit Shasta High School. During the podcast program, I developed a deeper connection to my Filipino role model, learned new skill sets, gained confidence, and more knowledge of our culture.
My name is Rochelle Berdan and I am a rising freshman with UC Merced. I’m a Queer/non-binary, Fil-Am artist passionate about destigmatizing the unspoken trauma our Filipino-American community experiences. I want my listeners to understand that healing starts with you unapologetically reclaiming your identities, your stories, and learning to take up space.
My name is Luci Herrera-Set and I am a rising senior at Carlmont high school in Belmont, CA. Through my family and the Filipino community, I have grown to learn more and more about the culture and I am most interested in the family and community values that everyone holds. The episode I created holds a lot of personal significance and I’d want listeners to take away the importance of family and culture, and how you can hold these values and take them through your life.
Meet The Program Instructor
MAYARI SHERINA ONG
Mayari Sherina Ong is a Pilipinx American podcast producer from Northern Virginia (Manahoac Territory) currently living in the Kingdom of Hawai’i. She has been in the industry for 6+ years, producing high-quality podcasts for Gimlet Media, Pineapple Street Studios, WNYC, Condé Nast, NPR, TED, and SONY Music. She has worked on acclaimed narrative documentary-style podcasts such as Reply All and was a lead producer for The Catch and Kill Podcast with Ronan Farrow, which was nominated for a Peabody Award and won an Edward R. Murrow Award.
Mayari can be reached at mayarisong.com.
Meet The Program Manager
NICOLE SALAVER
Nicole Salaver is a San Francisco native with a long family heritage of activism and community work in the Filipino American arts and culture scene. Her grandfather, Canuto Salaver, was a Manong of the International Hotel in the 1940's. He was also an original co-founder of the famed Bataan Restaurant and Pool Parlor in SF's Manilatown. Her grandmother, Estrella Salaver, also led the San Francisco-based Philippine American Cultural Foundation whose specific purpose was to promote social and cultural awareness in the community and produce programs and performances in the 1960's.
Nicole's own work has spanned over twenty years in the events, creative and theater realm from solo performance, new media production, filmmaking, screenplay writing and event production. Her extensive production and events background include an experiential pop up exhibit for Ariana Grande’s Sweetener Album in NYC and the Kapwa Cares comedy/musical event in SF with FilAm legends Rex Navarrete and AJ Rafael.
She believes that elevating the culture and helping heal generational trauma through art is part of her legacy.
Meet The Program Coordinator
IGGY MORA
Balay Kreative Program Coordinator and Associate Producer of the Cultural Kultivators Podcast, Iggy Mora is a first generation Ilocana, tattoo artist, multimedia specialist, and social science researcher based in the East Bay.
With a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and minors in Journalism and Public Policy, Iggy has conducted academic research on the changing expression of ethnic, Filipino identities in the revival of Batok or Filipino Tattoos in the diaspora. As the first multimedia director for Maganda Magazine at UC Berkeley, they are experienced in teaching and leading media production from podcasts and event coverage, to company culture content.
Application Deadline: May 15, 2024
The Unsung Heroes Program is generously funded by
