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Working Together
AYV teaches young people how to
work with both teachers and fellow
students to create videos, animations,
photo essays, presentations, music,
and other media projects on the topics
they are interested in. By fostering this
type of collaborative learning environment and creative expression, AYV is
helping educators develop forward-thinking lesson plans that get students
excited and involved while teaching
creative media technologies that promote digital literacy.
Some might question whether making videos or other digital media projects can really make a difference in
young people’s education and development. But research has shown that
93% of AYV kids planned to continue
their education after high school. Although this can’t be attributed solely
to the program, the statistic is telling,
as the schools and communities that
qualify for the program traditionally
have few resources.
The program provides software,
teacher training, mentoring, online collaboration tools, education materials,
and curricula. It also produces or supports exhibitions that give students a
public forum to share their perspectives
with a broader audience. The students
who participate in these public screening events reach a level of personal
achievement and fulfillment that they
rarely experience in the classroom. By
sharing their perspectives through creative projects of their own making, students are able to find their own voices
and apply their newfound confidence to
other academic and life challenges.
By sharing their perspectives through creative projects of their own
making, students are able to find their own voices and apply their
newfound confidence to other academic and life challenges.
In the AYV model, all students are
encouraged to participate, and the
teacher’s role evolves from an information presenter to a facilitator of
student-generated knowledge. Educators participating in AYV say they are
now more aware of what young people
value and care about, and they have
begun basing more assignments on
topics that really resonate with them.
This shift is essential in helping students connect the skills they learn in
school with their own life experiences.
It also broadens student awareness of
topical issues as they discuss and view
the work their peers create.
While the students work on projects
to share with local and global audiences, they also build valuable skills
that can open doors to future success.
The results are frequently transformative, as they develop creativity, communication, and collaboration skills
that are essential for success in today’s
global workforce.
Getting Involved
The Adobe Foundation issues AYV
grants through a request-for-proposals
process to both governmental and non-
governmental education organizations.
These organizations are best informed
and situated to select the local schools
and programs that would most benefit
from being part of AYV. Adobe then
donates to the selected schools soft-
ware, grants for production equipment,
teacher training, and ongoing support.
It also offers them the opportunity
to submit student work to festivals
and events.
