I absolutely loved my experience! I was given so many opportunities to grow, thrive, and share my voice with the world. I am thankful for the years I spent as an active member, and I am always welcome back. I highly recommend checking them out!
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I volunteered with OutCasting for 4 years, and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to do so. As a queer high schooler, it was an amazing place to find a community. I made long lasting friendships, and have gained a permanent home away from home. OutCasting helps educate people across the US about youth LGBTQ+ issues, and I am proud to have been a part of that mission.
Great organization with wonderful work. So very needed in these times.
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Working with MFPG was an important piece of my growth and learning as a teen. I developed professional skills I continue to use today, sharpened my political perspective, and gained a aesthetic savviness that informs my work today.
I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Marc Sophos and learn about Outcasting when I was an advisor at my high school’s Gay/Straight Alliance . I was so happy when a number of the members took advantage of this unique opportunity to learn about journalism and broadcasting , but also to research and then educate people on the issues facing the LGBTQ+ community .
I also had the pleasure of being interviewed by student volunteers on two different topics ; one was about gay bi national couples during a time before marriage equality , when one of the partners faced the risk of deportation ( which was my sons personal story ) , and the other about the challenges faced by parents when raising a child who is a part of the LGBTQ+ community . Both times students had most obviously come to these interviews with well prepared questions . , Outcasting provides young people with a great experience and a way to make an impact in our world
As the parent of two adult children, one gay and the other non binary , I been an activist for lgbtq + rights for approximately a quarter of a century. I became acquainted with Marc Sophos and Outcasting media when my wife was co adviser to a GSA in Rockland County and some of her students were interning there. We have been interviewed twice. The first Interview was about what bi national couples faced because if the Defense if Marriage Act . The second was about raising two queer children. Marc Sophos and his crew of dedicated, hard working students run an extremely professional media outlet. They tackle extremely important issues and always arrive to the studio fully prepared. Marc Sophos has put his heart and soul into OutCasting and the reward is helping students , teaching them important skills and building up the self esteem of many students who felt disenfranchised in their school environment .
I joined Outcasting in December of 2019. It is a very endearing and fun experience for volunteers. Being able to share your side of an issue is very empowering. I would recommend for anyone to join!
I joined Outcasting earlier this year and despite how much this year has thrown at us, Marc Sophos has kept us going. He has a great work ethic and he is always able to help us out when we need to.
It's a very fun experience that I would recommend to so many people i'm still a little new to outcasting but something that can't be put into words
I volunteered with OutCasting when I was in high school, and returned (remotely) as a college student for several months in 2020. During my time at OutCasting, I learned not only a great deal about LGBTQ issues, but also improved my writing skills and learned about writing with a radio audience in mind. OutCasting was also the first place where I found myself in a community of peers who were all LGBTQ or allies, focused specifically on LGBTQ issues; membership in this community this meant a lot to me as a teen and continues to mean a lot to me now.
Another way to experience a different point of view is never a bad thing. Thanks for your contribution towards informing the public!
Outcasting has been a great resource for me and my family. The education and support that we have gotten from this organization is outstanding. The guidance that they give to our young adults goes above and beyond. Marc and his staff truly care about this program and his community.
We are happy to be a part of this organization!
Outcasting is a great program to help you stay informed about the LGBTQIA+ community. Whether you’re an ally or community member, you will learn a great deal about current events in the community to help you stay informed. You can also learn more to be a better ally and get answers to questions that you may be unsure of how to ask. I recommend accessing their content to see for yourself!
Learned alot of life lessons here and alot about etiquette within business like being punctual, how to answer and conduct a business call, and how to work with various people of different backgrounds and ages. I would recommend this program to anyone who is looking to work with audio or conduct professional interviews to gather information for the topic of the episode.
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I volunteered with MFPG for four years in high school and it was one of the most memorable aspects of my teenage years. MFPG is a great program for queer youth and has a great message. The knowledge shared in OutCasting episodes is so valuable and anyone can benefit from listening.
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I volunteered with OutCasting throughout all four years of high school, and I had a great experience. The OutCasting crew has always been a wonderful group of people, and it’s even grown since I left for college. I gained a lot of valuable experience in audio and radio production, more than any radio internship I know of has to offer. As youth participants, we were responsible for every aspect of producing a radio program from start to finish. We would research topics, find guests and call them, write interview questions, conduct interviews, edit audio, etc. OutCasting gives LGBT teens an opportunity to have a voice in media and discuss topics that matter to them.
Award winning! https://pacificanetwork.org/pacifica-congratulates-marc-sophos-executive-producer-of-outcasting-named-2018-aarp-purpose-prize-fellow/
OutCasting has been of great interest to me since its inception, and as one of its volunteers, I've been able to watch it progress, and to marvel at what the young people involved in the program have experienced and accomplished. It is a very complex world that LGBTQ kids are facing at this point in time, and knowing that the OutCasting program exists and that they are not alone is comforting to those of us hoping for a better life ahead for them. It is a very important mission!
A life changing experience for all involved. Outcasting is truly a positive presence in today’s difficult climate.
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MFPG is a hidden gem in Westchester County. It is an after school program teaching local students the art of radio production and journalism - specifically about by and for LGBTQ+ youth. It is run by the genius Marc who teaches his students, with a steady hand and wisdom, the ethics, the craft, and the beauty of all aspects of radio production, while allowing the students to engage in discussions they may never have had the chance to talk about on a deep level in school. The program teaches the students to interact professionally with extremely high profile guests, and engage with them on very difficult and important topics of our time.
I was a volunteer producer with MFPG for a few years out of college, and it was a privilege and an honor to be involved with such a noble and well run organization.
You may ask how can a bunch of volunteer high school students produce NPR quality radio, meeting only after class once a week? Its all thanks to Marc, who manages to both lead everyone through difficult discussions, AND teach them the finer points of production, speaking for broadcast, writing for broadcast, the skill of interviewing, audio editing, and much much more. Many of the students remember their time with MFPG as the best part of their high school experience - and it is because of the professional yet all-inclusive atmosphere established by Marc.
Like I said, MFPG is a hidden gem, and deserves accolades and credits I only wish I could give!
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I volunteered with M.F.P.G. as an assistant radio producer for over 3 years. The production is handled with the utmost care and professionalism. As assistant producer, I was responsible responsible for guiding the student volunteers. Because of the thoroughness of every aspect of production, I am sure that these students are among the most highly trained and competent young journalists and radio producers in Westchester County. They learn real, hands-on experience in the field of audio production, and in-depth journalism.
On top of the excellent quality of instruction, which alone would be worth 5 stars, the students are LGBTQ youth and allies, learning more of their own history and about the LGBTQ developments in the world that they may never have been exposed to. Then the students get to be on the air; they get to conduct the interviews themselves before distributing their investigative and editorial work nation-wide, helping to further the national conversation.
This program is literally incredible, and deserves more than the 5 stars I can recommend.
-Alex Mintz
Assistant Producer
I visited OutCasting this year as an alum and it was a great to see everyone again! Since I left the content has only increased in quantity and quality. Great work.
I was a youth participant in OutCasting in my last two years of high school. I think it was the best experience I had prior to college. I learned so much about broadcasting, writing, and interviewing, and I am now applying all that I learned to public history projects in college. OutCasting was also a really wonderful community to be a part of- I am so lucky to have been a part of this amazing group of LGBTQ youth and allies. I wouldn’t have found such a wonderful LGBTQ community anywhere else in my high school years. I got to learn so much about LGBTQ history and meet some amazing people. And this is all on the volunteer end- OutCasting also produces a really amazing show, of course!
OutCasting is a fantastic volunteer opportunity. It provides valuable insights into the issues that the LGBTQ community faces, and a way to directly help. In addition, it teaches many technical skills in radio production and audio editing, which can be helpful for those pursuing a future in communications.
As a founding member and volunteer, OutCasting has proved to be an invaluable experience, both during my time as a student and in my professional life years after. Through OutCasting, I was able to gain practical media, writing, and broadcasting skills, while also researching topics and developing programs that mattered to me. In our team I found constant support and the encouragement to grow my skills, and gained confidence knowing that our programming had the potential to reach and impact other young people.
I started volunteering when I was in High School. My time there opened me up many different avenues of production that support activism and progressive causes. It was truly a formative experience.
I've been a youth participant at OutCasting for about a year and a half now, and I think the work that we do is really important. I've learned a lot about journalism, media, and LGBTQ issues, and I'm proud of the work I've done. I think it's really important to educate the public on LGBTQ issues, and the fact that OutCasting does that from a youth perspective makes it even better.
I was a youth participant at OutCasting for 8 months, and I loved volunteering there. I met a lot of great people, and helped create radio content that I was really proud of. I learned a lot about teamwork, research, and audio and content editing, and I know that anyone that has listened to our programming has learned a lot too. OutCasting was not only a great way for me to find a community of LGBTQ+ youth and allies, but for me to give back to my community.
It produces amazing media and is essential in giving a voice to a community that is underrepresented in mainstream media.