DIGICOM

The DIGICOM Story & Screenwriting Intensive Program for Teens (SSWIFT) is a project with two components. The first program segment will introduce the critical analysis of story to 500-500 video production, journalism, and/or digital arts students from high schools across the Coachella Valley. The students will attend Short Film Symposiums, which will expose them to a range of short narrative films and provide them with the opportunity to critically analyze storyline, visual storytelling technique, meaning, and theme. The second program segment will provide intensive screenwriting training to 20-30 selected high school students from across the Coachella Valley who show promise as storytellers. These students will be introduced to the world of screenwriting through the exploration of narrative structure, format, visual storytelling, story development, and voice. In both programs, Artist-in-Residence Ruth Atkinson as well as DIGICOM facilitators will help students learn. As a result, students will become digitally literate writers and consumers of media, prepare for higher education and careers, and become active, engaged citizens in their community and beyond.

The DIGICOM After School Program provides opportunities for middle school students to develop the life and career readiness skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity through moviemaking. Students learn how to create compelling engaging digital stories to communicate clear, intended messages, giving them a "voice" to share with the larger community.

In an emerging relationship with a Migrant Worker Education Program in Coachella Valley, DIGICOM has continued a relationship with Project Involve to bring diversity to the valley as supported by the Anderson Grant over the past three years. That includes hosting a symposium in the spring, inviting and transporting High School students from all over the valley to gain exposure to professional telling diverse stories. Documentarians will be visiting and teaching in the classes over the year to help focus their stories.