One of most impactful things you can do for kids is give them the capacity to tell their story. That's the concept behind "Street Cred," a youth reality show where kids "compete" in various kinds of production techniques for a chance to win an internship in the entertainment industry.
But the competition is just the backdrop for a much more important mission of "centraliz[ing] stories of marginalized youth," as creator Sultan Sharrief says in a promotional video.
Street Cred does this by giving the youth opportunities to learn and create with experts in various production elements like story development, screenwriting, film, theatre, and more. They also get mentored by a trio of judges in entertainment.
The youth themselves are a diverse group of race, identity, and sexual preference who have faced some significant challenges in their lives, but which are also ripe with storytelling potential.
"It's a Meta, trans-media, Afro-futurist, interactive, mixed reality, unfiltered show unlike anything you've ever seen," writes Sharrief by email.
The show is also looking to raise
$25,000 by Oct. 5 through a crowdfunding campaign to complete production of the show's first season as well as a virtual reality film started by the students. Every dollar donated will be matched by the Knight Foundation.
Watch the trailer for Street Cred here. Donate to the crowdfunding campaign here.
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