MANILA, PHILIPPINES–YouTube, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Union (EU), and social change agency Love Frankie, announces the final Creators for Change videos for 2020.
Running for three years now, Creators for Change is a program that allows YouTube creators to use their content to help address social issues today such as cyberbullying and social exclusion among others.
Earlier this year, several creators underwent a workshop in Google’s local headquarters to gain a deep understanding of the issues they want to focus on. After this, they were invited to submit initial ideas and based on criteria, a panel of judges across Google and partners carefully selected three creators who received USD5,000 to execute their videos.
The finalists attended a two-day boot camp in Bangkok along with 14 other creators from Asia Pacific where they were taught to address social issues and communicate with impact through YouTube. The boot camp was followed by a local three-month ‘Academy Programme’ where they were mentored by Google, UNDP, and issue experts to produce their projects.
In the Philippines, this year’s YouTube Creators for Change winners are motivational content creator Ella Banana, NextUp Class of 2019 finalist Lex in Motion, and Class of 2017 finalist Team Lyqa.
- Ella Banana — I Can And I Will
Ella Banana’s I Can And I Will, tells the story of Em Quintana, a nurse and a part-time mermaid diagnosed with Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), to promote social inclusion and build awareness on how we should not define a person’s contributions based on their disability alone.
2. Lex in Motion — Nasaan si Toto Ong
Lex in Motion’s project introduces the story of Nasaan si Toto Ong, a ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ interactive YouTube video where viewers are encouraged to participate through fact-checking and critical analysis.
3. Team Lyqa — #BeHeardOnYouTube
Team Lyqa’s #BeHeardOnYouTube project focuses on social Inclusion for the deaf community, tackling the daily challenges they face and how creators can make their content more accessible on YouTube through a step-by-step tutorial on how to use the platform’s closed captions.
Chetan Kumar, Outcome Lead for Peace of the United Nations Development Program, said, “UNDP is very proud to support Creators for Change. The level of energy, enthusiasm, and dynamism that the creators have brought to this is amazing, especially with their ability to communicate what they’re doing in different contexts, mediums, and across the barriers that often pull people apart. In doing that, they bring people together and show them new ways of working together.”
“YouTube, through our programs like Creators for Change, is committed to helping make the internet a safer and more positive space for Filipinos. We believe in the collective power of the voice and reach of our creators and together with the whole YouTube community, we can help influence and create the world that we aspire to live in,” said Yves Gonzalez, Head of Public Policy and Government Relations, Google Philippines.
About YouTube
Launched in May 2005, YouTube allows billions of people to discover, watch, and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube is a Google company.
