DIGITIZE

DIGITIZE provides high school students with digital tools they can use for the rest of their lives and a platform to creatively and collaboratively engage in multimedia storytelling. We are youth-driven and community-oriented. We recognize place-based experiences and digital literacy as both crucial skills for the future. By building leadership skills and cross-cultural awareness, our students begin early adulthood confident and well-equipped to amplify their voices.

Goals

1. Increase awareness of the Pacific Northwest’s rich and diverse cultures and identities.
2. Broaden interest in and access to digital literacy.
3. Increase access to technology and digital education.
4. Amplify youth voices and creativity.
5. Develop leadership skills in the digital age.

Current Initiatives

Story Gathering Workshop for Youth: Learn the building blocks of collecting community stories that matter.

This workshop will teach high school students networking and interviewing skills while connecting them with local ethnic and cultural heritage organizations.

The workshop itself is simple but impactful. Students will learn to think critically about how to engage with cultural heritage organizations of their choice, from our directory. We will guide them through the research and outreach required to thoroughly prepare for an in-depth interview and support them throughout the process. In addition, each student will get one-on-one sessions with EchoX’s editor Kathryn Lam, to workshop their recorded interview into a final product. The workshop will empower the students’ abilities for self-expression around their identities in terms of ethnic cultural heritage as they move beyond high school.

Youth Fellowships 2022

Our DIGITIZE Youth Fellowships are paid, short-term opportunities for high school students. They provide guidance and experience to those who want to gain skills in the digital sphere.  

This spring, we worked with a Washington State high school student to gain leadership skills and work experience while helping EchoX and DIGITIZE grow! Check out their work on our social media platforms from April – June 2022! We are still looking for a social media fellow for Fall 2022. To learn more or apply, contact DIGITIZE@echox.org!

We continue to create new opportunities and welcome questions, inquiries, or suggestions! To learn more, email us at DIGITIZE@echox.org and sign up for our mailing list.

Plans for the Future

Community Engagement and Place-Based Learning 

DIGITIZE envisions creating opportunities for students to meet new people and learn more about the Pacific Northwest’s rich diversity. These events will be inspired by our new youth fellows and are meant to allow students to pursue their curiosities. We hope that these events will be opportunities for meaningful cross-cultural dialogues and hold space for students to explore their identities as multifaceted people. 

Past Initiatives

“How to Look Cool Online” Level II: Collaborative Website 

Several students from our previous summer workshops came back, ready to flex their creativity and learn more HTML coding skills. This year, they built a collaborative website that combined all the student’s strengths and passions under a common theme. They heard from guest speakers with tech, storytelling, and web design skills that all helped guide the students to bring their visions to life.  

“How to Look Cool Online” Level I Workshop 

“How to Look Cool Online” Level I is a beginner’s HTML workshop imagined and brought to life by former EchoX DIGITIZE Youth Council member Jacob Arnez. After learning he could add his own flair and authenticity to his web design, he set out to teach other young digital creatives to become more comfortable expressing themselves online, too. 

Read more about “How to Look Cool Online” Level I on Voices to see what our students accomplished last summer! 

We hosted the “How to Look Cool Online” Level I Workshop again this summer. Follow us on Instagram (@echoxnw) or subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates. 

Youth Council 2018-2021

Our Youth Council was the core of DIGITIZE. It met regularly to plan events, help guide the DIGITIZE initiatives, develop leadership skills for the future and connect over shared interests and identities. Due to the pandemic, the Youth Council and DIGITIZE underwent some reframing. We have transitioned to youth fellowships as mentioned above in “Plans for the Future”, but we hope to bring the youth council back soon.

Python Summer Camp

Digital literacy builds agency and self-determination, making it a crucial skill for the digital age. Our summer camp was designed to teach students Python, an easy-to-read coding language, to create programs and create innovative digital content. 

Due to COVID-19 precautions, the 2020 and 2021 summer camps were canceled. Instead, in 2020, we held an online mentorship program for participants in the 2019 summer camp. The 2021 summer camp was replaced by the “How to Look Cool Online” Level I workshop.