SHOOTERS is a digital media training program for the formerly incarcerated, created and operated by Media in Neighborhoods Group (MING Media). It was piloted in 2014 with 6 cohort members and no formal funding source. The second iteration of the program started in Fall 2017, this time backed by The Knight Foundation and other community partners.
Throughout their time in the SHOOTERS program, participants are paid for their time, and treated as working professionals in the creative economy. Filmmakers El Sawyer and Jon Kaufman direct the program, while filmmaker/producer Seven Halsema runs the day-to-day operations. Drawing on the rich tech/start-up culture and creative economy in Philadelphia, SHOOTERS connects returning citizens to industry professionals and mentors with the goal of developing longterm employability.
