YOUmedia at the Richard M. Daley Library
Erica Gamble
Published: January 16, 2012
Graphic Artist: K.D.
On her first day at YOUmedia, a 7th grade student from Morton School of Excellence was trying to make a design for a pinback button with her name on it using Adobe Photoshop. She was frustrated at first because Photoshop is a complex program with so many picture editing tools. After an hour of persistently experimenting on Photoshop with the guidance of the Graphic Design mentor, this 7th grader mastered the basic tools in Photoshop and was ready to create another button. Independently, she designed the layout for the next button - a gift for her mother.
Graphic Design workshop
In Chicago’s West Humboldt Park, YOUmedia at the Richard M. Daley library - 733 N. Kedzie Avenue - opened its doors to middle school students in early September 2011. The Chicago Public Library has partnered with DePaul’s Digital Youth Network to provide middle school and high school students with a safe space to socialize with peers and adult mentors, question the world they are growing up into, discuss contemporary issues in their communities, and express themselves using a wide variety of media formats. This safe and free learning space is YOUmedia. In YOUmedia at the Richard M. Daley library, middle school students (grades 6 - 8) can take free digital media workshops such as:
| Workshops for Middle School Students |
Day, Time |
| Graphic Design / Digital Photography |
Tuesday, 4:30pm - 6:30pm |
| Radio & Podcasting |
Wednesday, 4:00pm - 5:30pm |
| Digital Music |
Thursday, 4:30pm - 6:30pm |
| Digital Video |
Saturday, 12:00pm - 2:00pm |
Digital Music workshop
Middle school YOUmedia participants have: created book covers and photo collages in Graphic Design; demonstrated knowledge of basic photography angle and shot techniques; uploaded podcasts about community issues for the radio; mixed loops and live samples to create music tracks; and finally, students have edited video footage to tell stories with movies. Additionally, students develop an online portfolio, which they can upload their creations to any time.
Student blogging.
Let YOUmedia help your teenager discover who they can be in the 21st century!
YOUmedia for middle school students:
Richard M. Daley Library: 733 N. Kedzie Ave. / (312) 743-0555
Rudy Lozano Library: 1805 S. Loomis St. / (312) 746-4329
Thurgood Marshall Library: 7506 S. Racine Ave. / (312) 747-5927
YOUmedia for high school students:
Harold Washington Library Center: 400 S. State St. / (312) 747-5260
For more information, visit your local Chicago Public Library or go to: www.youmediachicago.org
Find YOUmedia online @
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/youmediachicago
Twitter: https://twitter.com/YouMediaChicago
Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/youmediachicago
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/youmediachicago/
Students play Portal 2.
Posted in Arts and Culture, Community News, Education, Technology and Computers