YouTube is a platform that empowers anyone to have a voice and see the world. As a result, we hear voices of inspiration and hope, but needed a way to counteract negativity and amplify positive voices.
YouTube Creators for Change is an on-going global program dedicated to multiplying and amplifying positive voices who tackle difficult social issues and promote awareness, tolerance and empathy on their channels. Chosen for their passion and dedication to creating social change, 39 global Creators were selected to be Creators for Change Ambassadors in 2017. As part of their participation, each Creator was given production grants and mentorship support to create thought-provoking personal 'social impact project' videos. Each project addressed intolerance through unique forms of creative expression ranging from music videos and spoken word pieces to short-form documentaries and university workshops.
In tandem, we worked with grassroots initiatives and experts to connect with young people and inspire a new generation of Creators across Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region. Through workshops and social media campaigns, we empowered young people with the tools and confidence to defy hate online, resulting in thousands of videos and social messages promoting tolerance. To enable more voices to engage with YouTube Creators for Change, we created our brand moments around international celebrations of equality and inclusion like World Refugee Day and International Day of the Girl, which gave people an easy way to participate and show solidarity.
We built a diverse, international network of 39 YouTube Creators to help us educate millions of viewers about the dangers of intolerance. Early on, we recognized that YouTube Creators for Change is a program best executed on our platform since it fosters open dialogue between users and Creators. With this in mind, we augmented our on-platform efforts with local chapter activations, brand moments and global events.
Chapters:
Sen Kimsin (TU)
The YouTube Creators for Change TU chapter launched #SenKimsin ('Tell Us Who You Are') to address tolerance issues. Workshops at 12 Universities across the country encouraged students to speak about their lives and identities, which inspired a series of videos by local creators, NGOs and journalists.
Somos Más (ES)
The YouTube Creators for Change IL chapter launched 'Somos Más ('We Are More'), a campaign promoting tolerance and integration in schools. With the support of the Spanish Government, students learned to work together to combat hate.
Internet Citizens (UK):
The YouTube Creators for Change UK chapter launched 'Internet Citizens' a campaign teaching 13-18 year olds from vulnerable backgrounds positive ways to use the Internet.
Night Egal (DE)
The YouTube Creators for Change DE chapter launched #NichtEgal ('It Matters'), a
campaign that trained older students in Germany to become experts on hate speech and serve as mentors for younger students.
Ovdim Al Ze (IL)
The YouTube Creators for Change IL chapter launched 'Ovdim Al Ze' ('Work
in Progress'), an eight-part video series documenting conversations between different people to find common ground.
1nDONEsia (ID)
The YouTube Creators for Change IL chapter launched '1nDONEsia,' a seven-month program encouraging students to create videos for positive change. At the inaugural event in Jakarta, officials from the Ministry of Education and Culture joined hundreds of students, creators and NGOs to strive toward a unified multicultural society.
Brand Moments:
World Refugee Day:
YouTube Creators for Change partnered with the International Rescue Committee to celebrate World Refugee Day. Creators traveled around the world to record with refugees who were also scientists, artists, dreamers, etc.
International Day of the Girl:
YouTube Creators for Change highlighted the importance of girls' education by partnering with ONE.org. Participants included Elizabeth Banks, Felicity Huffman, Kate Walsh and Michelle Monaghan, YouTube creators and international leaders.
Global events:
Social Impact Camp
We brought participating Creators together to connect and learn from one another in real life about ways to promote social change.
YouTube Global Summit
YouTube Creators for Change hosted a summit in London that brought together over 120 creators, NGOs and changemakers to demonstrate how video drives understanding. Through powerful speaker sessions (including a talk from the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai), performances and video, we inspired attendees to do good.
Tribeca TV Festival premiere
YouTube Creators for Change screened 3 videos at the Tribeca TV Festival premiere that demonstrated the power of video to counter hate and intolerance. Afterward, Creators participated in a panel with Q&A about their impact projects and experiences creating content.
Views and watchtime:
YouTube Creators for Change videos were viewed over 60M times worldwide with 731K hours of watchtime.
Sentiment:
YouTube Creators for Change initiatives trained over 15K young people around the world via schools, universities and youth clubs about how to create and sustain their own social impact projects. Highlights of these students include:
Additionally, this campaign made viewers feel positively about YouTube's facilitation of conversations about social issues according to a 2017 Millward Brown research study.
Expansion:
YouTube Creators for Change expanded its footprint into eight local markets including Germany, France, Belgium, Israel, Spain, the UK, Turkey, Australia and Indonesia. In fact, Creators for Change is the most well-known YouTube initiative in Australia and Indonesia.
Press:
YouTube Creators for Change initiatives were covered and celebrated by over 100 times by global media publications like NBC, Forbes and Mashable. These outlets reached a global audience with diverse interests and beliefs.
