Introducing our first class of Creators for Change fellows
Back in September, YouTube announced a new program called Creators for Change, putting forward creators with big ideas to help counter xenophobia, extremism and hate with stories promoting positive change. One of our first steps was teaming up with 11 program ambassadors who are now hard at work developing unique social impact projects which range from a new web series on topics like race, religion, and sexual orientation, to a 10-city workshop series for high school and university students dedicated to creating positive content. Our local chapters in countries like Indonesia continue to promote the importance of inclusiveness among young people. And as part of this program, Google.org, our philanthropic arm, has awarded $2M in charitable funds to support nonprofits that promote inclusion and cross-cultural understanding to the: Active Change Foundation, Habibie Center, Maslaha, Skateistan, Southern Poverty Law Center, TAFNIT and Witness.
Mentorship and support for emerging voices is a key part of the Creators for Change program, and we’re now ready to take on our next phase. We’ve collaborated with our program ambassadors to identify new voices we’d like to support and today, we’re excited to introduce the 27 creators from around the world who will join us as the first-ever Creators for Change fellows:
Mentorship and support for emerging voices is a key part of the Creators for Change program, and we’re now ready to take on our next phase. We’ve collaborated with our program ambassadors to identify new voices we’d like to support and today, we’re excited to introduce the 27 creators from around the world who will join us as the first-ever Creators for Change fellows:
- Australia: L-Fresh the Lion
- France: Swann Périssé, Arthur Pires
- Germany: Jette Lübbehüsen, Firas Alshater
- India: Nikharika Nm, Them Boxer Shorts, Sandeep Jha
- Indonesia: Raja Gopalz, Gita Devi, Jovi Hunter
- Oman: Ashwaq Al Maskery
- Turkey: Özgür Turhan and Deniz Bağdaş, İlker Gümüşoluk
- United Arab Emirates: Maha Abdelghaffar
- United Kingdom: Nadir Nahdi, Myles Dyer, Leena Normington, Taha Khan, Sam Saffold-Geri, Rosianna Rojas
- United States: Subhi Taha, Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, Taylor Behnke, Tasneem Afridi, Evelyn Ngugi
- Yemen: Ezaldeen Aref
Together with our ambassadors, we’re eager to support these YouTube role models as they continue to create content that challenges tough topics like hate and extremism, and spread positive messages. For starters, these Creators for Change fellows will each receive equipment and production grants to help them develop new projects and take these productions to the next level.
We’ll also give the creators production support through our YouTube Spaces, and this summer our Spaces in London, New York and Mumbai will host new social impact camps designed exclusively for our program Fellows. These three-day-long camps will include workshops on best practices for producing social change videos, 1:1 channel support from YouTube experts, as well as plenty of time for the Fellows to connect with one another and some of the global program ambassadors.
Through these new resources and programs, we’re committed to helping our new Creators for Change fellows take on new projects that help raise and amplify the issues they care about. Stay tuned for more soon and, for now, you can read about their inspiring stories at the Creators for Change site.
Juniper Downs, Head of YouTube Public Policy, recently watched this inspiring group of creators share their stories.