New channel provides grants for students

MtvU, the newest channel from MTV networks, is giving young adults a chance to express their creativity by providing grants for top college activists. "MtvU Grant" is a new program dedicated to empowering and awarding student social entrepreneurs at mtvU partner schools.\nGrant winners represented schools nationwide, including IU student Douglas Briney. Each student or group received up to $1,500 and an array of resources and tools to aid in their community improvement projects. Briney was awarded the full $1,500 to create the Maumee Youth Project with the help of friends. The project's goal is to develop a music venue open to all ages that will provide an artistic outlet for local youth. \n"MtvU is always encouraging students from their designated universities of any age range to participate and apply for a grant," Briney said. "They don't make it competitive or anything. Applicants could be awarded any sum of money up to the $1,500."\nAccording to a press release, mtvU is the largest and most comprehensive television network oriented specifically to college students. It broadcasts to more than 700 colleges across the country. Youth Venture, a national nonprofit organization that invests in America's youth by providing them with the tools they need to create, lead and launch their own businesses, organizations and clubs to benefit their community, is working in conjunction with mtvU to help students bring their ideas to life.\n"We took a look at the fact that college students have historically been the engine for civil change," said Stephen Friedman, general manager of mtvU. "Take a look at past movements. College students typically are at the forefront of activism."\nBriney is a prime example of college students being at the forefront of activism and civil change. He had previously created a project called the Art Factory in Fort Wayne. The Art Factory held shows on Friday and Saturday nights where bands, mostly local, would play. Briney and friends would rent out the venue for the night. The money received went toward paying rent and the remainder was paid to the bands. The project ran for two years but closed when the building manager decided to turn the location into a parking lot.\n"The Maumee project is going to be different," Briney said. "It will be set up all over. We learned now what to do differently." \nThe place designated for the Maumee Youth Project will be called "The Rise Above," which will hold shows for all ages that will be the backbone of the program and finances for the project. The project will be run by a board of directors that will be mainly or entirely composed of people under 21 to ensure that it will serve the best interests of that age group. \nAllowing people to hear music isn't all that the Maumee Youth Project is striving to achieve. In addition, Briney and his partners want to set up programs that will educate youths about different activities they can do by themselves, including screen-printing T-shirts, recording and distributing albums, and making and distributing magazines. Briney and coordinators are still looking for a building to hold their project, but it will most likely be located in Fort Wayne.\nThe mtvU grants will be awarded every week throughout the school year. But grant applicants will be getting more than just money; they will be getting the assistance they need from Youth Venture. \n"We are working with schools to get kids involved in community service organizations," said Linn Landon, community service director with United Way, which just partnered up with Youth Venture as well.\nParticipants will also have an opportunity to be featured on mtvU News and receive exclusive access to helpful resources and tools in cooperation with Youth Venture. To find out more about the mtvU grants, visit www.mtvu.com or www.youthventure.org. \n-- Contact staff writer Mallory Zalkin at mzalkiin@indiana.edu.