El Placazo Youth Staff Members are inexperienced/experienced community youth - elementary, middle school, and high school-aged - recruited through the SACA El Placazo Community Newspaper Project by the Placazo Coordinator or current Placazo Staff by word-of-mouth or through presentations/workshops. Potential Youth Staff Members should possess or want to develop their natural skills in writing, graphic designing/layout or photography and have an interest in being active with the development of El Placazo. With supervision of Placazo Coordinator and/or current Placazo Staff, El Placazo Youth Staff Members are responsible for learning and having a pro-active role in the development of each month’s issue of the newspaper. El Placazo Youth Staff Members must be thorough in their commitment to the development and completion of each month’s issue of El Placazo and adhere to the schedules of workshops, research sessions, community meetings, article development sessions, article deadlines, and completion deadlines as set by the Placazo Coordinator. El Placazo Youth Staff Members have the option of concentrating on one aspect of the production of El Placazo. Once El Placazo Youth Staff Members have decided on a concentration, then they are responsible for contributing to the monthly production of the newspaper. For example: students with a concentration in photography will contribute photography work and are responsible for learning photo development, how to conduct photo shoots, learning to use the digital and manual camera, etc. El Placazo Youth Staff Members will work alongside and learn from Mentor/Volunteers and the TMI Members. El Placazo Youth Staff Members may be promoted to TMI Member at a future time. Parents are encouraged to work alongside El Placazo Youth Staff Members.

The following are areas of El Placazo that Youth Staff Members can choose to concentrate in:

Photography

The El Placazo Staff Photographer should learn the basic aspects of pho tography: black and white photo development (chemicals, filters, enlargers, etc.), photo composition, lighting, working with digital and manual cameras. The El Placazo Staff Photographer is expected to follow the El Placazo Youth Staff Member Guidelines.

Urban Journalism

The El Placazo Staff Urban Journalist should learn the basic aspects of journalism: creative writing, prose, editing and rewriting techniques, article devel opment, interviewing skills, oral histories. The El Placazo Staff Urban Journalist is expected to follow the El Placazo Youth Staff Member guidelines.

Layout and Graphic Design

The El Placazo Staff Layout and Graphic Designer should learn the basic aspects of layout and graphic design: scanning; utilizing Quark, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator in relationship to the design of El Placazo. The El Placazo Staff Layout and Graphic Designer is expected to follow the El Placazo Youth Staff Member guidelines.