Yianni Stamas developed the Digital Communication Arts workshop as a way to empower students to achiever their dreams including getting into college, acquiring a job or starting a business.

ABOUT

VFW Academy: Digital Communication Arts
and Marketing Strategist Learning Center

THE INSPIRATION

Founded by Yianni Stamas, a New Yorker who got his start in Hollywood. He works as an apprentice for the filmmaker who made the “Godfather” movies. VFW Academy draws its inspiration from Yianni's experience in the '80's learning from mentors/brothers Dr. August Coppola (Nicolas Cage's father) and Francis Ford Coppola.

WHAT IT IS NOW

VFW Academy: Digital Communication Arts and Marketing Strategist Learning Center is currently a work study internship program that integrates media tools and publicity strategy curriculum components.

The program presently functions with the student receiving college credit from TCI College of Technology Digital Media Arts Program (Coop Ed). While the actual classroom and on site media education work is conducted and administered at the VideoFilmWeb.com Inc. Studio.

This includes working on actual VIdeoFilmWeb.com Inc. client projects including Lights Camera Read, Review Me NYC and the Platinum Pias Awards.

INFLUENCES

In developing the VFW educational forum and learning center, Yianni draws from influences that include growing up with a mother who is a PHD in Education and with a grandfather who wrote one of the most famous Western novels of all time that was made into a classic movie "Shane"..

FILLING A NEED

Steps are being taken with technical training institutes to empower the relationship between digital media arts, marketing and communication known as digital communication arts.

THE AWAKENING

Late in 2007, Yianni Stamas, who founded his internet publicity and advertising company VideoFilmWeb.com Inc in 2001, is on the cover of the Northern NYC publication the "Manhattan Times". He is seen on the cover holding his digital camcorder.

The enclosed article - which is written both in English and Spanish - talks of his role as a guest educator at George Washington High School in Washington Heights, Manhattan as well as his community activisim.

Yianni is an advocate for local residents, regarding challenges in the community including working to prevent children's deaths and injury due to playing in the streets in fire hydrant spray as well as clearing the germs of flooding, littering and more.

The mayor responds and addresses the problem and Yianni, inspired by how his camera had been able to make a difference, works with Washington Height's George Washington High School YABC (Young Adult Borough Center) to attain New York City Department of Education vendor status.

TCI COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY JOINS IN

This segues into VideoFilmWeb joining forces with cooperative education's TCI College of Technology.

ADD TO THE MIX:
LINCOLN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
THE FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER

Next Yianni contacts his comrade, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts producer Alina Bloomgarden. Yianni has worked with Alina for more than 5 years producing monthly live multimedia educational kids shows at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater. Yianni edits the onscreen content and films the events plus partners as a creative collaborator.

AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY

Yianni quickly invites his friends into the creative educational mix as landmark projects are taken to the next level including Lights Camera Read with the New York Public Library, Review Me NYC and the Platinum Pias Awards.

EDUCATORS AND SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OWNERS

Dramatics founder Ace Miami combines his artistic performance background with his expertise in hair to create a new and unique "dramatics" experience for clients. He credits much of the 9 salon chain's success due to his collaboration with Yianni as Dramatics' marketing manager - a collaboration more than ten years old and still going strong.

SMALL BUSINESS AS IT RELATES TO EDUCATION

Students learn at VFW Academy - that if they choose the entreprenuerial path - when starting a business you need to understand your particular problem and solution. In other words, who wants the solution you are providing for a specific problem? This is explored in niche demographic development classes and business empowerment.

Plus students explore the importance of making sure that what you do is unique as well as has some kind of competitive edge.

LIFE COACHING, MOTIVATION &
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

THE EDUCATION EXPERIMENT

Seeing a need for education that combines training for job security with a mandatory for success entrepreneurial spirit, Yianni spends two and a half years lliving out his mission. This mission is to use digital media marketing education to transform the lives of those who live in Northern NYC, Harlem, Inwood Manhattan and the Bronx. This area is Yianni's home and he wants to empower his neighbors.

3 MONTH PROGRAM AND
TWO YEAR PROGRAM GRADUATES

Some of the students remain for the next few years while one in particular, Joseph Ramos fulfills the entire two year (or 4 semester program). He is a 2009 graduate from VFW Academy, receiving his diploma in the form of an award on Friday, January 15th at The Platinum Pias Awards at Robert De Niro's Tribeca Screening Room.

The real world successes of the group in 2009 includes making promos for Reshma Shetty in front of the media studio green screen that directly assists in her getting cast as a lead regular in a hit USA cable show "Royal Pains".

2011

The New York Public Library and TCI College of Technology get involved with Yianni Stamas at an even higher level as he forms a partnership with Rodger Taylor (Teen Central Librarian at the Grand Central NYP Branch) and they develop media literacy and digital communication arts workshops to be taught both at the library and at TCI.