WSBR: The Voice of Saratoga Bridges
Creating and airing segments as unique as the people who create them. Playing music we like, sharing news about our community, conducting interviews with people who inspire us and communicating our interests. WSBR radio personalities are visibly and actively participating in the world. Just imagine the possibilities!
WSBR is a collaboration between approximately 35 people and Bridges’ staff members who meet twice a week to discuss program ideas. The meetings provide an opportunity for learning segment design, public speaking, interview planning, editing and other tech tools needed to be successful and create a professional sounding product. The individuals record brief talk show segments, mix in music they enjoy and post them online as podcasts on wsbr.saratogabridges.org. As they have varied abilities, staff members are incorporating assistive technology to enable people who have limited speech, literacy issues or other barriers the chance to participate.
By giving individuals a voice in the community, they are becoming less marginalized and more active self-advocates. In just a short time, WSBR has already become another avenue in which our individuals are passionately involved in and are exceeding our and their own expectations.
Ultimately, the agency feels WSBR can dramatically enhance and transform their lives. It directly supports our mission and purpose which is to enhance their dignity. The participants are learning experiences that will enable all of them, regardless of their disability, to become more productive and as independent as possible.
Some of the many benefits include:
- Developing self-respect
- Building confidence
- Improving self-esteem
- Learning tangible and practical skills such as the ability to speak to people and interviewing techniques
- Developing more assertiveness techniques
- Learning editing and broadcasting
- Providing cohesion among different agency programs
- Becoming another public face of the agency by working with the confines of our new website
- Acting as role models to their peers
- Creating and expanding program ideas
- Re-energizing staff as well by developing their own skills
- Collaborating with area college students
The check presentation (created by Adam) with Kurt Freeman, our Implementation and Information Specialist, and Adam Roy
We received a grant in the amount of $415 from Youth² – Youth Helping Youth Fund. Written by Adam Roy, a vivacious, gifted, sharp, energetic and enthusiastic 12 year old young man with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, the funds will be used for WSBR, “The Voice of Saratoga Bridges” to enhance marketing efforts for WSBR‘s Youth Programming.
Under the guidance of The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region, Youth2 was created to engage young people to think about issues that they care about and to create volunteer or social action projects for youth and by youth. They are committed to giving financial and thoughtful organizational support to help interested young people turn their ideas into realities.
For more continued information, please refer to this press release.
As the agency wanted to own and operate their equipment, we submitted a grant to The GlobalFoundries-Town of Malta Foundation. In December of 2013, thanks to their extreme generosity, we were awarded $6,423.25 which allowed us to purchase the equipment necessary to record, edit, and upload WSBR podcasts! Read more in this press release.