In the wake of COVID-19, young people -just like you- are feeling like they’re no longer in control of their futures. From disrupted schooling, to increased anxiety, to the challenges of finding your first job and standing up for a more sustainable planet. It is normal to be uncertain about your next steps in life.
But what if you could tell leaders what you wanted to see change, and help other young people understand and take action? That’s what the UNICEF Youth Mediathon is all about – to help young content creators like you reimagine a better world for every child!
Save the date and join us on October 23 and 24!
Where to watch:
Welcome Video | This website | our Instagram account | our Facebook Page
ABOUT THE MEDIATHON
The UNICEF Youth Mediathon is an online skill building event that will give you the opportunity to improve your skills as a content creator and develop content about the issues affecting young people today.
Watch our masterclasses, hosted by top professionals in leading creative firms, like Vidcon, Wikimedia Foundation, Vayner Media, Instagram and more. And apply those learnings to create and submit your own content! Check our ‘Learn’ and ‘Create’ sections below.
110 lucky applicants also won the chance to participate in our group sessions (Oct 24) and meet and learn storytelling skills from top content creators, receive mentorship from experienced professionals in creative fields, and connect with other creatives.
The Voices of Youth team selected a group of 110 young creators from the nearly 4,000 that applied to our first Youth Mediathon! Their content will be published on Voices of Youth and other global platforms.
LEARN
Watch our masterclasses and learn new skills with other resources we have prepared for you. Make sure you follow us on Instagram, where some of these moments will take place.
MASTERCLASS 1: ‘How to do social good on social media’ with CALLE AND POCHÉ.
Want to impact your community and reimagine a better world for every child? Check out this masterclass with Colombian content creators Calle and Poché and learn how to use your influence to do social good.
MASTERCLASS 2: ‘How to share your content in Wikimedia projects’, with wikimedia foundation
Sharing your content and bringing free educational content to the world is easier than you think. Check out this masterclass and learn all the tips and tricks with Edna Medina (Wikimedia Foundation) and Hannah Rothmann (University of Edinburgh). You can use Wikimedia as a platform to share with the world the original work you create in this #youthmediathon. https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fvoicesofyouth%2Fvideos%2F358010338808202%2F&show_text=false&width=560
MASTERCLASS 3: ‘Creating engaging visual content,’ with Alexsey Reyes
Passionate about climate action? Want to reimagine the world of wellbeing and mental health?
Whatever your cause is, this masterclass by content creator Alexsey Reyes (@alxesey on Instagram) will help you boost your social media and grow your community!
MASTERCLASS 4: ‘How to design innovative campaigns’, with VAYNERMEDIA
Turn your ideas and motivation into useful and impactful campaigns! Learn the step by step to create an innovative strategy with DuBose Cole, Head of Strategy of VaynerMedia London, that helped develop the ‘Reimagine the world like a gamer’ campaign with UNICEF.
MASTERCLASS 5: ‘How to become an advocate for children’s rights through storytelling’, with Tchonté silué
Tchonté is a blogger and a young champion for UNICEF Côte d’Ivoire. She is passionate about reading, writing, education and travel. And she founded the Centre Eulis, a study space that allows young Ivorians to discover the world through books, outings and educational workshops.
MASTERCLASS 6: ‘Becoming a better storyteller,’ with Kayvon Steezize
Kevin Nafo Kafana is a dancer, choreographer and a digital champion for children with UNICEF in Côte d’Ivoire.
In this Youth Mediathon lesson he shares his tips to engage better with your audience on social media.
‘Standing out on social media.’Presentation created by UNICEF and Voices of Youth social media teams.
This presentation will look at how you can frame your message to stand out on social media, with some practical examples of how UNICEF engages with audiences online.
Want to learn more? Here are other helpful existing resources if you want to start creating content or become a youth advocate:
Blogging 101 – A Voices Of Youth Beginners Guide To Blogging
Blogging 201 – A Voices of Youth Guide to Advanced Blogging
How to write about disability rights
Writing in a gender-inclusive way (pdf via UN Women)
How to strengthen your message with data
Planning a virtual conference? Checklist for accessible online video conferences.
Engaged and heard! Guidelines on Adolescent Participation and Civic Engagement
Adolescent Kit for Expression and Innovation
CREATE
You can be a part of our Youth Mediathon! Join our skills-building event in our Voices of Youth Facebook Page, our IGTV channel or on this page on October 23, where you will be able to learn about digital storytelling from top professionals. A series of video lessons will also remain available her for you to watch and learn at any time. Stay tuned!
You can also put those new skills into practice and create content for your own social media channels, or even share it with us through our Voices of Youth platform. Please read this page on how to join our community and submit your content. Don’t forget to read our quality and engagement guidelines before you start creating your content.
These are some of the suggested topics:
- Reimagining the Future of Learning
- Reimagining a Greener and More Sustainable World
- Reimagining the Future of Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Reimagining an Future Without Discrimination
FAQ
- When did you announce the final participants of the group sessions for the Youth Mediathon?
If you are one of the finalists, you received a confirmation email to the address you used to submit your application, including more information about your participation in the Youth Mediathon and next steps. We sent the confirmation emails on Sept 30-Oct 1.
Due to the high number of submissions, we can’t send an email or provide personal feedback to everyone who applied, but even if you don’t receive a confirmation email you will still be able to be part of the Mediathon by joining our masterclasses and sharing your content with us (see the sections above).
- I was not selected as a finalist for the Youth Mediathon. Is there any way I can still be part of it?
Of course! There are several ways in which you can be a part of the Youth Mediathon and other UNICEF opportunities for young people.
Learn new skills with our masterclasses and skills-building resources in our Voices of Youth Facebook Page, Instagram account and on this website on October 23, where you will be able to learn new digital storytelling skills from top professionals.
You can put those new skills into practice and create content for your own social media channels, or even share it with us through our Voices of Youth platform. Please read this page on how to join our community and submit your content. Don’t forget to read our quality and engagement guidelines before you start creating your content.
Our Youth Mediathon is only one of the many opportunities in which you can engage with UNICEF and other young people.
You can become a U-Reporter and be part of a global platform to change the lives of young people. More information, here.
And join Kids Hack the Crisis, a hackathon or innovation marathon organized by UNICEF Sweden and the Swedish Institute (SI) where kids collaboratively work on challenges announced in advance. This hackathon is over the course of 48 hours and participants called “hackers” will work in teams or alone. We need your help to design, test and implement ideas that can help fight the current crisis – to improve life during and after the crisis. Learn more and apply here.
- Will there be other editions of the Youth Mediathon?
We will keep you posted if there are future editions! In the meantime, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, as we will be announcing new and exciting projects soon!
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