The SPOT 127 Youth Media Center provides digital media mentorship and training through in-school, afterschool and summer programs. SPOT 127, an ongoing program was created through the collaboration of Friends of Public Radio Arizona (FPRAZ), Rio Salado College and KJZZ 91.5 FM. SPOT 127 Youth Media Center is the only afterschool program of its kind in Maricopa County. Media education scholars suggest that digital media’s pervasiveness presents many opportunities for deepening students’ knowledge across subject areas. However, youth in low-income communities with limited digital access can find themselves at a disadvantage compared to their peers when it comes to educational and career opportunities.
SPOT 127 serves high school students from 14-18 years of age with an emphasis on reaching students who would not otherwise have access to learn or improve on digital skills. SPOT 127 serves the greater Phoenix area and has targeted areas that are in a Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ), which is an economically distressed community. We are able to grow a base of students who primarily live in the QOZ areas through the virtual formats we offer. Many of our students are the first to attend college, coming from homes where college was never achievable. Our instructors include two former SPOT 127 students who have succeeded in college and returned to teach our program.