We want the world to #WatchOurImpact.

Young changemakers around the world are making lasting impacts in their communities, yet their efforts are too often underestimated. We want to change that. USAID’s Global Leadership and Education Advancing Development (Global LEAD) Initiative, YouthPower2: Learning and Evaluation (YP2LE), and Generation Unlimited (Gen U), along with other global partners joined forces for this digital storytelling contest to show how youth are using the power of change to make the world a better place.

You can watch the winning videos here.

Keep reading for more information about the contest:

A CONTEST FOR THE DIGITAL STORYTELLERS IN ALL OF US!

We know youth are actively working to improve their communities, countries, and the world, and we want your stories to be heard.

The #WatchOurImpact Global LEAD Digital Storytelling Contest ran from June 7 - July 23. Contestants submitted an original, three-minute video or slideshow in Arabic, English, French, or Spanish that told the story of their youth-led actions to advance local, national, or global development.

While any type of development activity was acceptable, special attention was given to those stories that linked their work to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and/or the following key issues:

COVID-19/Pandemic Response, 
Education/Skills Development, 
Youth Employment/Entrepreneurship, 
Climate Action,
Food Security/Resilience,
Digital Literacy/Security/Action, 
Civic Engagement, and
Wellness/Violence Reduction.

Prizes for Winning Entries

The five selected winners were announced on August 2 on YouthLead.org and across all campaign partners’ social media channels. In addition, contest winners were able to:

Take part in the USAID Global LEAD #WatchOurImpact Dialogue with other VIPs on August 12.
Be featured on GenU’s website
Receive mentoring sessions with GEN U, and/or USAID staff.
Lead a “social media takeover” of GenU accounts.
Become part of GenU’s pool of moderators.
Be connected with GenU country offices.

Voting

Submissions that meet the contest rules were displayed on the Global LEAD #WatchOurImpact Contest Video Gallery page, where YouthLead members voted on their favorite contest entries. There was also a committee of judges whose votes were weighted to account for any bots used to interfere with the voting process. Watch all the videos here.

Resources

If you or someone you know are interested in Digital storytelling, below are some helpful resources that can guide you in creating a video or slideshow.

Tips for Recording Yourself on Video

Video Storytelling: How to Drive Connection Through Narrative

9 Tips for Great Slideshows

How to Create a Slideshow

How To and Sample Videos