2019 Youth Leadership Summit with HITN
HITN was delighted to present a workshop session at this year’s Youth Leadership Summit 2019, May 11th at John Jay College (#NYCYouthLead) sponsored by the NYC Department of Youth & Community Development. Hundreds of youth from DYCD @NY Youth programs across the city came together to actively address and give voice to this year’s theme of social justice and civic engagement!
The Digital Storytelling Workshop presented at the Leadership Summit emphasized the importance of Youth Voice and how each young person’s voice and stories impact their community. The interactive, hands-on workshop introduced over 30 young people to the basics of creating short-form digital videos. The workshop emphasized: Be the change — Your Voice Matters.
Peer-led teams selected topics and used the DIYdoc smartphone app to create minute-long documentaries about issues and concerns that mattered to them along with actions to bring about positive change. The insightful and essential themes that students generated for the videos included global warming, the lack of elevators in schools that limit those with physical disabilities, issues about bullying, and shootings in their neighborhoods. The workshop concluded with a screening of each video that led to a spirited dialogue about the importance of youth voices in solving issues that affect them so deeply.
DYCD Commissioner Bill Chong stopped by the culminating video screening and was delighted to see that the HITN Digital Storytelling workshop is not just about the production of videos by young people, but the workshop also facilitates in-depth reviews, constructive critiques, helping develop mutual respect amongst participating youth, and enthusiastic support for their peers.
Facilitators of the Workshop included Steve Mudrick, Theater Arts Production Company (TAPCo) High School technology director, and math teacher. Along with students from the TAPCo Tech Squad; Danny Posada, Coordinator of HITN Learnings’ Children, Youth, and Digital Media Literacy Initiatives; Javier Gaston- Greenberg; Ed Greene, VP, Children, Youth, and Digital Media Literacy Initiatives; and Ed Pichardo, KCDA Bureau of Youth Initiatives and Diversion. HITN colleagues in attendance included Alejandro Molina, David Rust, and Julia Mair.
The HITN Digital Storytelling Initiative has been developed in partnership with the Kings County District Attorney’s Office: Bureau of Youth Diversion and Initiatives, with pro-social app developer DIYdoc. It is a cutting-edge digital storytelling/media literacy workshop series that uses smartphone technology with a specially designed digital storytelling app, and an engaging curriculum to amplify the voices of youth. http://www.hitndigitalstorytelling.info