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August 27, 2014 | Category: Blog | Author:

Your story round-up for the last week of summer

This week, a look at stories in various mediums.

TECHSOUP “STORYMAKERS” CHALLENGE WITH CASH PRIZES: TechSoup is accepting submissions for its annual digital storytelling challenge, “Storymakers,” now through September 26. Categories include Youth, Super-short, Newbie, Audience Favorite and Best Overall. They’re also having a webinar series on how to make and promote stories for the challenge. More info here.

KENYAN COMIC BOOKS ON SOCIAL ISSUES: Here’s an example of popular literature — comic books — used to address social challenges. A Kenyan group called Well Told Story produces comic books, radio dramas and other media on issues such as HIV, agricultural practices and more.  Click here to read more, and to download a sample comic translated into English.

DOSOMETHING.ORG USES SNAPCHAT STORIES TO ENGAGE YOUTH: The Chronicle of Philanthropy has an interview with two staffers of the youth-engagement organization DoSomething.org. They’re using Snapchat — a mobile app that allows users to send short visual messages that disappear soon after you read / see them — to do interactive “choose your own adventure” campaigns on social issues. A campaign in February had young people make Valentine’s Day cards for homebound seniors. Participants on Snapchat chose for a DoSomething.org staffer to deliver them outside dressed up in diapers as Cupid. The goofy approach and the Snapchat app, popular with young people, helped make the campaign a success; it probably didn’t hurt that the DoSomething staffer used to be a model. And this week, as the Chronicle article mentions, DoSomething.org is issuing daily challenges to its Snapchat followers in a campaign called “The Hunt.”