23 In a city famous for a commitment to the arts, here’s a program that stands out. Created by kids, nurtured in The Port, its very name signals a distinctive spirit. The Do It Your Damn Self!! National Youth Film Festival is a sassy, entrepreneurial celebration of young people and their commitment to social justice. It is the product of the Teen Media Program at the Community Art Center, a grantee of the Foundation for its community-building through art and education. The brainchild of six Cambridge teens, the festival last year drew more than 800 participants from across the country. The only thing not youthful about DIYDS!! is its age, now over 20 years and counting. “It is the group that makes impact,” said Jensun Yonjan, Teen Media Program Coordinator. “One film about social justice won’t change a lot of people. But the com- bination of all this work? That’s a very powerful thing.” Along the way it has drawn impressive partners: last year MIT, the Cambridge Community Center (itself the home of The Hip-Hop Project, a platform for young performers) and the Institute of Contemporary Art. This year’s festival is scheduled for March with the public invited to attend Saturday, March 31st, 7 pm. Tickets will be available at the door of MIT’s Media Lab or online at www.DIYDS.org. The real power in DIYDS!! lies in the hands of young people combining their concerns and their curiosity—their voices—with a compelling medium. Photo courtesy of Community Arts Center. GRANTEE STORY Cambridge Kids in Film: Vision + technical smarts = impact