Educational Video Center

At the Educational Video Center, young people are developing their voices and discovering the power of storytelling. Educational Video Center (EVC) is a nonprofit youth media organization that runs both in-school and after-school programs across New York City. Through hands-on documentary filmmaking and media arts programs, EVC equips students with the tools to critically examine the world around them and create films that challenge dominant narratives, elevate underrepresented voices, and foster a deep sense of belonging.

“We think of Educational Video Center as a values-aligned community as much as an organization,” said Executive Director Ambreen Qureshi. “That community includes funding partners like Brooklyn Org.”

Founded 40 years ago, Educational Video Center has long served as a creative and educational home for students across the city, and funding from Brooklyn Org  has helped EVC expand its reach and deepen its mission. “Brooklyn Org’s support has helped fill in the gaps and fund the generative work that doesn’t often get funded,” Qureshi shared. “We’ve been able to do the deep, community-accountable work like building our intergenerational Alumni Advisory Council and mentoring new educators with our grant from Brooklyn Org.”

Each year, the organization serves over 750 students across as many as 50 school partners. Programs range from intensive after-school filmmaking cohorts at EVC’s Manhattan headquarters to in-class and on-site school partnerships, including ongoing collaborations with Brooklyn schools like Midwood High School and those in the Erasmus Hall campus. Across all sites, students are not just participants—they’re collaborators and decision-makers.

“No matter what we do, it’s 100% student-centered,” said Mary Grueser, Deputy Director of Programs. “Students drive the programming. They brainstorm, pitch, vote on topics, research, and work together on collaborative documentary projects.”

That process always begins with community building. “Even when students are in classrooms together every day, they get to know each other in a new way through our programs,” noted Grueser. The experience of working collaboratively on a long-term project helps students not only strengthen their creative muscles and communication skills but also build confidence and foster lasting friendships.

This sense of belonging is built with care and is a central part of their approach. “There’s an intentionality behind everything at Educational Video Center, no matter how small or large. We foster that sense of community throughout the semester. It’s not something we do once and forget about,” said Qureshi. That purposeful community building can be seen in how programs are shaped by ongoing reflection and input from students. “We’re continually listening and assessing what students need,” added Grueser.

For newcomers—students who have recently immigrated—the organization’s programs offer structure, support, and encouragement. “We create a space where students can come in with any level of English and learn from their peers,” said Grueser.

“Often they do voiceovers in the films. They’re so proud to hear themselves speak English, to describe research in a language they’re working so hard to master. It’s an immense source of pride and accomplishment for them and for their families. Celebrating those moments with them is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do.”

Brooklyn Org’s support has also helped Educational Video Center invest in its educators. Like all of Brooklyn Org’s funding, this grant is unrestricted, giving the organization the freedom to adapt to emerging needs and invest in what matters most to the communities they serve. In response to student feedback, the organization launched the Credible Educators initiative to remove barriers to entry for aspiring educators and teaching artists of color who reflect the communities they serve.

“We’ve shifted how we recruit to open up opportunities for people who may not otherwise have access to careers in education or filmmaking,” said Qureshi. “We pay them and teach them our pedagogy. It’s a way to support the next generation of educators.”

Today, 75% of Educational Video Center’s staff are bilingual, and nearly half of their workshops are offered in Spanish or a bilingual Spanish/English setup. As the number of students and families they serve that speak French and Haitian Creole continues to grow, the organization is expanding language access even further.

Educational Video Center’s student-produced films continue to earn recognition and amplify youth voices beyond the classroom. Three student documentaries were featured in the Haitian Dominican Transnational Film Festival at St. Francis College in Brooklyn last year: In My Mind or In Other Eyes, The Grass Isn’t Always Greener: Migrants in the Workplace, and The Shade of My Beauty: Breaking the Skin Barrier. One of the films, on the exploitation of migrant workers, included an interview made possible through a Brooklyn Org connection. “I reached out to our program officer at Brooklyn Org, and she connected us with Christine from Domestic Workers United,” Qureshi recalled. “It was a phenomenal interview, and it’s in one of the films that screened at the festival.”

Through it all, Brooklyn Org’s support has helped EVC continue to evolve as a space where young people feel heard and grounded in community. As Qureshi shared, “Brooklyn Org’s deep commitment to racial justice, to really investing in the community and just trusting your grantees—it means a lot to feel that support authentically.”