CATALYST talks with Gabrielle Horowitz-Prisco, Executive Director of Lineage Project. LP is a social action organization that brings mindfulness and meditation to at-risk and incarcerated youth in New York City.
UTAH: Sweet Morning Light
Cam McCaul of Trek C3 Project headed out to southern Utah when the season started. This video highlights some of the zones he explored for the first time.
USA: One Stitch Closer with Veronika Scott
Get inspired by Veronika Scott, the 24-year-old founder and CEO of The Empowerment Plan, a non-profit that empowers women to be live the lives they want to lead.
USA: Skateboarding with Lakota Youth
'Skateboarding in Pine Ridge' chronicles a skatepark build and the lives of Lakota youth in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. The director hopes to put a spotlight the hard work of the Stronghold Society, an organization dedicated to empowering youth through skateboarding, art, and music.
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Watch Merit, A Clothing Company Helping Kids Go To College
Every 26 seconds in the United States a student drops out of high school. Merit is a clothing company who cares about changing that. Education is their cause, and 20% of all their revenues are dedicated to helping disadvantaged kids get to college. Read more about Merit through David Merrit, the founder's blog here.
American Thoughts On Foreign Aid: A Documentary By ONE
ONE explores what American perceptions of US Foreign Aid are... and then shines some light on the reality.
Join ONE by taking action to support the world's most vulnerable here
Herman's House
New Orleans native Herman Joshua Wallace was thrown into long-term solitary confinement after being accused of murdering a prison guard. Over 30 years later, Wallace received a letter from New York artist Jackie Sumuell that posed the question, "What kind of house does a man who has lived in a six-foot-by-nine-foot cell for over 30 years dream of?" Through correspondence and phone calls, they created an art installation that juxtaposes Wallace's cell with a full-scale model of his dream home.
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USA: The Lineage Project Brings Peace to Incarcerated and At-Risk Youth
The Lineage Project has its roots in San Francisco, when Soren Gordhamer and Andrew Getz, took their meditation into the juvenile halls in 1997. The idea hit the east coast when Gordhamer moved to New York City and brought the practice with him, starting the Lineage Project East in 1999. Now, more than a decade later, his weekly hour-long classes have helped hundreds of adolescents control their emotions, relieve stress, and bring awareness to their mental state of mind through yoga and meditation.
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BURNING MAN: The Temple
Sifting through the cultural phenomena that is Burning Man in search for its meaning and place in the world is a daunting task. Fortunately, Michael Marantz (Founder of Already Alive)'s short film 'The Temple' does exactly that. In his own words, "'The Temple' explores modern spirituality in a contemplative and personal manner touching on the ideas of self-discovery, letting go, and meaningful human connection that transcends simply a party in the desert."
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Worldwide Time Lapses
If you've always wanted to take a trip around the world but you only have a few moments to spare then this is the video for you. Globetrotter Mike Riccitelli takes us on a stunning visual tour of Japan, China, Vietnam, India, Mauritius, South Africa, Ghana, Brazil, and the United States. Join him.
MILLENNIAL TRAINS PROJECT: The Uncharted Territories
This past summer, The Millennial Trains Project (MTP) embarked on its inaugural cross-country journey - visiting six cities in ten days; traveling by train the entire way. With a mission to awaken the entrepreneurial amongst a group of 25 crowdfunded Millennials, the trip exposed them to the uncharted territories of America; showing the promise, and room for growth the country has. This video - narrated by Keith Bellows, Editor-in-Chief of National Geograhpic Traveler and MTP on-train mentor shares his insights on the Millennial Generation, travel, and the need for all of us to fight complacency in order to break the status-quo.
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VIDEO: Already Alive Shows Their Bonnaroo Experience
Produced by the creative storytelling platform Already Alive, this film is an intimate lens into the incredible community bounded by music, elevated connection, and limitless possibility. Music festivals are a hallmark of American summers, and Bonnaroo is no exception. Through a montage of Bonnaroo’s many voices and images, the piece sheds light on the festival’s many promises: the promise of experimentation, self-discovery, and love. It begs the question of what the world would look like if we lived our daily lives in this way.
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VIDEO: Exploring America's Newest Frontiers with the Millennial Trains Project
All aboard the Millennial Train! This 10-day 7-city train journey is set to embark on its second voyage, from Portland to New York City. As an annual journey, the Millennial Train Project hosts a group of bright young minds who have crowd-funded their way onto the train as they aim to tackle America's newest frontiers and challenges. It's an ever-moving incubator, riding full speed ahead toward a brighter tomorrow.
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VIDEO: Explore the Scenic US on a Road Trip
A vivid exploration of American culture, this video shows different parts of the country from the perspective of a road trip. While it starts in New York City, it is hardly limited to urban environments and looks at many different parts of the country.
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The Burning Man
For close to three decades now, Nevada’s desert landscape has been annually transformed into the phenomenon that has come to be known as Black Rock City, home to the Burning Man. While the essence of Burning Man is often mislabeled as a massive party with excessive drug use, it is best described as "pop up society." One, which after a years worth of work, dedication, and preparation is burnt down to the desert floor, leaving it just as it was before its temporary inhabitants arrived.
Regardless of the stereotypes about the “hippy subculture” that Burning Man has been built upon, the festival embodies a spirit of collective freedom that is seldom seen in our world today. It has evolved into a place of worship, innovation, radical self-reliance, and authentic freedom of expression; where anyone can reinvent themself into whomever they want, without the stresses of acceptance and judgment from the “real world”.
Amongst the plethora of art installations, participatory campsites, and whatever else Black Rock City births, Michael Marantz, Founder / Director of Already Alive, was inspired by one in particular, “The Temple”. In his mind, the installation of The Temple, “explores modern spirituality in a contemplative and personal manner; touching on ideas of self-discovery, letting go and meaningful human connection that transcends a simple party in the desert.”
Marantz’ inspiration led him to contribute to Burning Man’s consistent theme of a “gift economy” by producing a short film about it. Fortunately, Michael was able to capture the film in a series of still images, allowing those unable to participate in the experience of Burning Man, to have a taste of what it is like to reside in the world of Black Rock City.