Spot 127, KJZZ’s Youth Media Center, is proud to announce that Thunderbirds Charities has granted the organization $18,000 in funding. This funding will enable SPOT 127 to purchase state-of-the-art Dell laptops for after-school and boot camp programs, during which high school students learn to edit video, audio, photos, and graphics using the Adobe Creative Cloud. The new laptops will allow SPOT 127 to increase the number of teens who have the opportunity to gain advanced digital media skills that can inspire their career plans and assist them in contributing positively to their communities.
With the skills gained in Spot 127’s innovative after-school program, students report increased self-esteem, job opportunities, and internship options. Their new skills and increased digital citizenship often provide career direction and enable teens to become role models in their communities.
“We are grateful for the community support of the SPOT 127 Youth Media Center programs. The funding from Thunderbirds Charities enables us to continue offering digital media education to those high school students who might not otherwise have this kind of opportunity.” Executive Director of Friends of Public Radio Arizona, Linda Pastori, goes on to say participants consistently report the positive impact these classes have on how they view their futures.
According to Noah, age 15 from Veritas Preparatory Academy, “SPOT 127 has definitely been one of the highlights of my summer. It was so fun, and it also helped me learn skills that I’m positive will be useful in the future. I’d recommend it to anybody interested in any of the many topics they cover.”
This grant is part of the Fall 2025 cycle. View a list of all Recent Grantees.