BYkids

Kids tell honest and important stories, yet they often go unheard. BYkids is here to change that. Founded by Holly Carter, a Pulitzer Prize nominated journalist, BYkids is a non-profit organization pairing master filmmakers, including the late Albert Maysles and Ric Burns, with youth (ages 8-21) from around the world to create short documentaries that educate Americans about globally relevant issues and give them concrete ways to respond.

In January of 2016, Season One of “Films BYkids” aired nationally on PBS. The five-part documentary series, narrated by Ashley Judd, took viewers around the world — stopping in Tibet, India, Mozambique, and the United States. As for the directors, they were all 16 and 17 year-olds who shined a light on social issues they face daily. It was such a hit, the team is back for Season Two with a new batch of mentors and directors, and we want to help.

Covering topics such as climate change, child marriage, human trafficking, indigenous people, the juvenile system and more, Season Two will be nothing short of riveting. Our AWB grant will be towards editing fees for Episode One. In this film, 12-year-old Edelcine Mendez will share her personal story of how climate change is directly impacting her family and their livelihood from coffee. She is mentored by the legendary filmmaker, Joyce Chopra, whose work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

You can find BYkids on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram. If you missed Season One, you can watch it here.