New Haven Independent

Dozens of youth and adults gathered at the Wilson branch library on Congress Street Wednesday night for a double-barreled celebration: the screening of two videos and the awarding of prizes (nothing to sneeze at either; first prize was a computer and a year’s free internet service) to the six winners of an essay contest about the Hill. But first, a multi-course meal was served (pictured).

The video project, which involved a dozen teens, was a collaboration of The Color of Words, a digital writing project for youth, and the Hill Youth Action Team. The latter is part of the Hill Forum, an intensive community-building project supported by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. The video expressed what the young participants liked about their neighborhood and what they wanted to change.

David Romero was featured in the video, where he talked about his changed attitude after working on it. Now he claims the Hill as his own, to appreciate and to improve. Click here to listen. And click here for the audio of the entire 5-minute video.

An audience member asked the teens what was their biggest challenge in completing the project. Joel Suarez, 14 (pictured), said it was writing the script. “We had to look at the bad things and the good things” about the Hill, he said, and write about them in an engaging, cohesive way. Others agreed that working on their writing skills stretched them the most.

After the videos, six teens (all female) were honored for their prize-winning essays on the History of the Hill. Before announcing the winners, Wilson librarian Melissa Canham-Clyne (pictured) refuted some myths that residents of the Hill wouldn’t take advantage of a library in their neighborhood when it was built, following two decades of neglect by City Hall after a branch library inside Roberto Clemente School was closed. Click here for her comments.

Ilana Smith (pictured), 12, won third place in the 12-14-year-old category.

In that age group, Lainee Burnett (pictured at the top of this story) won first place for an essay that combined research, interviews and personal memoir. She wrote of her mom being on drugs and the family being homeless, but then being helped by Hill agencies like Christian Community Action and the Hill Health Center. She’s an A-plus student who’ll soon be starting her freshman year at Hopkins School, the most prestigious private school in New Haven. She said writing gave her a new perspective. Click here to listen.

Lashekia Tell (pictured) won first place in the older teen category.

Magalis Martinez is director of The Color of Words. She commented on each essay before calling up the winners, saying she was looking for “voice and passion” adding, as far as she was concerned, they were all first-place winners.