The Video Club at Walt Whitman was inspired by the street artist BLU, whose work was introduced to us by Masha, a service learner from Brooklyn College. We spent several weeks creating our own cardboard characters to animate, using stop motion, over a mural in the school courtyard. We also created a cool introduction on the blackboard in the music room. Written by Claire Danies, the story is of a lonely flower who longs to have some company. While shooting this piece, the girls of the video club were inspired to create a dance called the magical dance of the fairies.

This video was a serious group effort. Emi and our young emcees, Kimani, Darius and Malik, worked diligently in the music lab to come up with the song.  Miss Jill taught everyone how to make a storyboard and plan the video.  And the amazing Arin worked with a revolving crew of young filmmakers to produce this beautiful video.  Great work everyone!  Stay Rappin.

Kindersley Louis, Jeff Jean, Thales Norzeus, Meshac Fontus, Damar Weir, Cedric Desormeaux and Jonathan Riviere

From about the 1690s until 1794, both free and enslaved Africans were buried in a 6.6-acre burial ground in Lower Manhattan, outside the boundaries of the settlement of New Amsterdam, later known as New York. Lost to history due to landfill and development, the grounds were rediscovered in 1991 as a consequence of the planned construction of a Federal office building. Dane Peters, our athletics supervisor and boy’s club facilitator, brought the boy’s club to the museum and memorial to learn about the history of this sacred space.

Walt Whitman Middle School’s investigative team, The Undercover Girls, interview members of their Flatbush community to discover the truth about the Trayvon Martin Case. Find out what they uncover!

Did you know that weathercasters don’t actually see the map behind them? They stand in front of a blue or green screen and the weather forecasts are incorporated afterwards. Here is Whitman’s weathergirl Miah having some fun with the weather. We also have a lesson in Jamaican slang right before we are magically transported to Jamaica for the quickest dance party in history. Finally, the Whitman crew drives through the Hollywood Hills spotting celebrities. Anything is possible with a blue screen!