El Placazo
Mural Program
Mural Tours
Huevos Ranceros Gala
Corazon Y Familia Mural 5k Run/Walk
Dia de Los Muertos
Cassiano Homes Family Foto Project
Donors/How To Support San Anto
Photolog
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About El Placazo
El Placazo Newspaper is one of three projects operated by San Anto Cultural Arts. The purpose of the newspaper is threefold: 1) educate and train youth in all aspects of newspaper production (photography, journalism, computer layout and design, desktop publishing, editing); 2) develop and nurture the artistic, writing and cognitive skills of youth participants; 3) allow for community residents to voice, document and express their creativity, history, social concerns and thoughts through the submission and publication of poetry, articles, and artwork.
El Placazo Community Newspaper is a community-operated, monthly newspaper designed as an educational tool for youth, adult and elder residents interested in realizing and developing skills in all aspects of newspaper production. The newspaper serves as a unique outlet for people of this impoverished area to express themselves, to document their culture, and to work as urban socio-anthropologists. Through their work with EPCN, youth, adults and elders develop self-efficacy / esteem through self-identification and the development of communication and cognitive skill building. The monthly process of EPCN instills positive work ethics and responsibility, and challenges youth, adults, and elders to investigate, uncover and translate both the beauty and the ills that make up this community.
The newspaper is published monthly, has an estimated yearly readership of 96,000 and is distributed to over 320 locations and subscribers in San Antonio, Texas, the US and Mexico. General subscriptions are $15 dollars, and $5 for inmates, upon request.
To become part of the El Placazo Newspaper Program as a youth staff member, a writing, photography or layout/design mentor, or a general volunteer, please contact the interim El Placazo Coordinator, Cristina Ordonez at 226-7466 or cordonez@sananto.org.
El Placazo Guidelines
El Placazo Coordinator
Under general supervision of Executive Director, El Placazo Coordinator is responsible for implementation, management and coordination of all phases of the production of each monthly issue of El Placazo Newspaper. The Coordinators ultimate responsibility is to ensure that the paper operates under the following guidelines: All phases (layout, writing, editing, photography and photo development etc.) of the production of each monthly issue of El Placazo should be conducted by staff members; El Placazo must serve as a platform for community residents to voice and document themselves; El Placazo must serve as a training tool for youth interested in developing skills in all aspects of newspaper production; El Placazo should serve as a tool in the development of character in youth.
Mentors
Volunteer Mentors are residents who have experience or are knowledgeable in any one of the aspects of newspaper production (i.e. article development, creative writing, photo development, photography, graphic design/layout, editing, interviewing) who volunteer at least one day a week to mentor Youth Staff Members of El Placazo community newspaper. It is the responsibility of the Mentor/Volunteer to assist the Staff Members and El Placazo Coordinator in the production of each month’s issue of the newspaper through: hands-on training and skill/character building. Mentor/Volunteer may be asked to organize and implement activities/responsibilities including the following: pick up/drop off students, answering phones, assisting with conducting of interviews, fieldtrips, layout, photo and article development, writing, editing, driving students to/from interviews, helping to keep office space clean, program development and evaluation, advising of students in relation to educational/scholarship/personal issues, workshops, distribution, mailout, recruitment/retention, typing, fundraising events, phone banking, etc.
The Mentors/Volunteers will be recruited, screened and selected by the El Placazo Coordinator and Executive Director. The Mentor/Volunteer will be selected based on the following criteria: geo-cultural/social/historical/artistic understanding of our community; availability; background; skills; familiarity with purpose and objective of El Placazo and San Anto Cultural Arts. Mentor/Volunteers must adhere to schedules agreed upon by El Placazo Coordinator. Mentor/Volunteers are expected to serve as positive role models to members of El Placazo Youth Staff Members. While on duty or representing El Placazo or San Anto Cultural Arts, Mentor/Volunteer should not: smoke, curse, drink, intimidate, physically/mentally/emotionally abuse Youth Staff, express racially discriminatory sentiments towards others, or express religious/political/sexually oriented dogmatic viewpoints.
Photography Mentors
The Photography Mentor/Volunteer should possess competent skills/under standing of the basic aspects of photography: black and white photo development (chemicals, filters, enlargers, etc.), photo composition, lighting, working with digital and manual cameras. The Photography Mentor/Volunteer is expected to follow the El Placazo Mentor/Volunteer guidelines.
Urban Journalism Mentor
The Urban Journalism Mentor should possess competent skills/understanding of the basic aspects of journalism: creative writing, prose, editing and re-writing techniques, possess excellant reading and writing skills, article development, interviewing skills. A basic knowledge of oral histories is preferred. The Urban Journalism Mentor is expected to follow the El Placazo Mentor/Volunteer guidelines.
Layout and Graphic Design Mentor - The Layout and Graphic Design Mentor should possess competent skills/understanding of the basic aspects of layout and graphic design: scanning; utilizing Quark, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrater in relationship to the design of a periodical. The Layout and Graphic Design Mentor is expected to follow the El Placazo Mentor/Volunteer guidelines.
The purpose of the Leadership Mentor is to provide an opportunity for individuals that may not possess the above skills, to be involved with El Placazo. The Leadership Mentor can work with youth participants of El Placazo and impart valuable life experience, knowledge, and wisdom. The Leadership Mentor is expected to follow the El Placazo Mentor/Volunteer guidelines.
El Placazo Youth Staff Members
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.
Teen Mentor Initiative (TMI)
The TMI pays monthly stipends to experienced teenage participants who act as journalism, photography, editing, creative writing and graphic design/layout mentors to younger participants of the community newspaper project. The TMI was developed in order to retain participants who are at an age when they are expected to begin earning income to assist with personal and family finances, to provide teenage Staff Members a more pro-active role in developing the skills of younger participants, thus ensuring the future growth of the newspaper and preservation/validation of culture within our community. The purpose of the TMI is three-fold:
1) to provide a facilitated mentoring program to meet the developmental needs of younger - elementary and middle school-aged El Placazo Staff Members in all aspects of newspaper production (i.e. journalism, computer layout and design, photography, creative writing and editing)
2) to provide monthly stipends to more experienced, teenage Staff Members of El Placazo to mentor and act as role models to younger El Placazo Staff Members
3) to provide teenage Staff Members of El Placazo a pro-active opportunity to develop their leadership, communication, and organizational skills/talents
Qualifiations and criteria in order to become eligible for consideration to the TMI are as follows:
Six months of continous participation with at least one aspect of the production of El Placazo
Be at least 13 years of age
Once designated a TMI Member, learn and become proficient in all aspects of the production of El Placazo
In order to receive a monthly stipend, the TMI Member must:
1) mentor for a period of 2.5 hours/once a week for the skill development of younger, elementary and middle school-aged El Placazo Staff Members. Mentoring must be devoted to mentee’s Placazo assignment (i.e. article development, photo development, photography, graphic design/layout, editing, interviewing)
2) set and adhere to schedule, be consistent, be punctual, and advise coordinator of any absenteeism at least two days in advance (other than emergencies) 3) devote time to learning and becoming proficient in all aspects of El Placazo production.
If TMI Member is absent, inconsistent or does not adhere to set schedule (three times within a quarter-three month period) without advising El Placazo Coordinator at least two days in advance, TMI Member will then be dismissed of their duties and stipend as a Teen Mentor.
Evaluation of TMI Members will be conducted by El Placazo Coordinator every quarter (three month period) using current guidelines and progress of both mentor and mentee.
TMI Members will be nominated and selected by a committe consisting of current TMI Members, El Placazo Coordinator, and Executive Director.
The amount of the monthly stipend for TMI Members and the number of TMI slots will be determined based on the availability of San Anto Cultural Arts funds and will be decided by a TMI review committee consisting of current TMI Members, El Placazo Coordinator, Executive Director.