Posts filed under ‘Opportunities’
Have Your Anti-Bullying Public Service Announcement Aired on Logo
We at OneSeventeen Media are joining the fight to prevent bullying and are so pleased to announce that MTV’s television network, Logo, is in search of some of the best anti-bullying public service announcements in what it’s calling “Logo’s Anti-Bullying PSA Contest”. The contest runs through November 28 and any U.S. resident can submit 25-second videos that convey messages of anti-bullying. The best part? They are looking for amateur filmmakers, everyday people like you and me to fulfill this order. Professional filmmakers are actually explicitly excluded from entering.
“Bullying is wrong. It needs to end. And you can help,” the tagline for the contest reads.
The hope is that, not only will people who may have not previously engaged with this topic enter into the discussion because they like the media aspect of it, but they will also discuss it with others, spreading the word about anti-bullying without overtly meaning to. The contest will generate buzz that extends beyond just those participating, not to mention the exposure that the actual aired PSA will get. People channel surfing with only the intention of being entertained will be hit with this all-important message. News stories and the “It Gets Better” campaign, among other recent coverage, has brought much-needed attention to the issue of anti-gay bullying, but people need to seek that out to some extent in order to learn about it. A television spot could be the most successful way to reach more passive consumers of media.
19 Days and Counting
Only 19 days left to register for the Young Minds Digital Times Student Film Competition. We have fantastic prizes for our winners, including two Grand Prize packages to attend the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. Other first place category winners will take home $200 in cold, hard cash. The teacher with the most student film entries, and the school with the most student film entries in Track One: Young Filmmakers Doing Good, will each win $1000! But you have to register first!!
Registration is open until February 19th. The competition is free to all student filmmakers grades 6-8 and 9-12. Film entries are due March 19th. And check the rest of our blog posts for filmmaking tips and tricks.
Sailing Alone Around The World
Post by Beth Carls, CEO, OneSeventeen Media & Co-Founder, KidThrive.org
Good Morning America reported Sunday morning on 16-year old Australian Jessica Watson’s quest to be the youngest person to sail solo, non stop, unassisted around the world. Jessica reports on her web site that her inspiration came from two pioneer sailors: 
Kay Cottee, the first woman to sail solo non-stop and unassisted around the world, and fellow Australian, Jesse Martin, the youngest person to do so.
While many of us might not set our sights on a goal like sailing around the world, we can take inspiration from the goal of this young woman. Even when it seemed her trip may not happen when, less than 24 hours before her departure, her yacht, Ella’s Pink Lady, was struck by a 63,000 tonne bulk carrier and sustained considerable damage, Jessica did not give up. What an inspiration she can be to us and our youth on the importance of goal setting! She shares her route and rules on her site and reported today the weather seems to be cooperating for her to depart Sydney, Australia toward Northern New Zealand around the middle of the coming week.
Jessica was born May 18, 1993 on the Gold Coast and currently lives in Buderim, Australia. Her mantra is: Always make the best of everything, Positive, ask questions, lots of questions. Her interests include: Anything outdoors and on the water, camping, the beach, reading, cooking, weather, fencing, dingy sailing, boat design and CHOCOLATE!
If you’d like to follow her 8-month journey, you can find her blog and other information on her web site.
Good luck, Jessica!
Film Competition Opens Today! Register NOW!
Registration is now open in the Young Minds Digital Times Film Competition (YMDT) 2009-2010! “Studio Chief” Converge magazine has a fantastic article about the competition on their website – “Lights, Camera, Interaction.” You can also check out the official YMDT Filmmaker Blog Buzz where you’ll find weekly tips, tricks, advice and news related to the competition.
There are new categories, prizes and sponsors in this year’s competition, and we hope you’ll choose to join YMDT as a student participant or by encouraging kids you know to sign up for this great opportunity. They competition also makes an excellent class project!
Countdown to Young Minds Digital Times ’09-’10!
The second year of the Young Minds Digital Times Film Competition (YMDT) is just days away! Starting September 28, students can register to participate in the ’09-’10 Competition. This year’s competition is co-sponsored by KidThrive.org and Converge magazine. As always, there’s no fee to participate. You’ll find all the details live on the YMDT website starting on the 28th. Some exciting improvements to this year’s competition based on your feedback:
- Expanded time line — films due in February 2010
- Larger cash prizes for students
- $1000 cash prizes for the teacher and school with the most entries
- Two new categories to show off your work
Be sure to check back September 28 for all the details! We can’t wait to see what you’ve been up to!
SXSWi: Vote YES for Beth and Hybrid Enterprises
Post by Beth Carls, CEO, OneSeventeen Media & Co-Founder, KidThrive.org
I hope to share more about our exciting journey into a hybrid enterprise at the SXSW 2010 Interactive Festival in Austin, TX March 12-16. With your help as part of the judging process, I’ll be a panelist at the upcoming festival. Check out my session overview and vote with a Thumbs Up to say “YES!” to learning more: The Hybrid Enterprise: A Tool for Visionary Entrepreneurs. Voting ends Friday, September 4, 2009. I look forward to seeing you there!
Introducing KidThrive.org + OneSeventeen Media
Post by Beth Carls, CEO, OneSeventeen Media & Co-Founder, KidThrive.org
As committed social venture entrepreneurs, the founders of OneSeventeen Media, Inc. recently made a strategic decision to operate two entities; the existing for-profit business (OneSeventeen Media) and a new, openly funded nonprofit organization (KidThrive.org), each operating independently and pursuing their own unique mission. This type of collaboration today is called a hybrid enterprise.
The term “hybrid” may sound familiar. While Wikipedia describes hybrid as “the combination of two or more different things, aimed at achieving a particular objective or goal” the word has context in mythology and iconography, biology, etymology, transportation, music, culture, computers and electronics, finance, sports and even video games.
Most of us probably think of cars when hearing the word hybrid. However, in this context, none of the above apply. The hybrid I’m referring to has to do with a new business trend for socially responsible entrepreneurs to use as their operational structure.
I recently spoke with Priya Haji, co-founder of World of Good, Inc. and WorldofGood.org – IMHO, a model example of how hybrid enterprises work best. WorldofGood.org works for industry-wide changes for alleviating global poverty. World of Good, Inc. partially funds the work of the nonprofit through founder’s equity, a percentage of annual profits, and periodic company-sponsored fundraisers and events. Unlike other hybrid-enterprises, however, WorldofGood pursues independent funding for its work through private and corporate foundations and individual grants.
We are committed to and believe this new paradigm of a hybrid enterprise is one that supports a more dynamic, interactive and new economy era model. KidThrive.org + OneSeventeen Media will reinforce the overarching goal of large-scale research, development and implementation of responsible and measurable social media tools that help our youth survive and thrive their developmental and growing up years.
Today’s Kids: Expensive, But Not Worse Behaving
A Canadian study reports that today’s kids behave no worse than their parents;
“The conventional vices such as smoking, drinking and occasional marijuana use are all down from Bibby’s earlier Teen Project Canada studies dating back to the 1980s. So are the teen problems of the sort highlighted by the media such as depression, suicide and bullying, according to his 2008 survey of 5,200 teens from coast to coast.”
While it might be mildly reassuring that this generation of teens and tweens are no worse off than their parents, the expansive media coverage on youth issues should make us aware of many individuals were previously falling through the cracks unnoticed. Twenty-first century tweens and teens are often criticized for their over-sharing, but when kids are willing to open up through new media tools, there’s a unique opportunity for us to provide support and resources to help navigate their struggles. At OneSeventeen Media, we’re motivated around using social media to connect kids with the tools for success that weren’t readily accessible a generation ago.
Another (expensive) sign of the times: the average family will spend $221,000 to raise a child born in 2008 to age 17, according to a USDA report that’s been widely covered the last few days. This is no small chunk of change, but as Joanne Jacobs points out, the figure could be quite inaccurate. On Jacobs’ blog, there are some interesting comments where a single mom explains the number sounds low:
“Overestimates? If anything, it underestimates. I’m a single parent in Southern California, living in a middle-class neighborhood. It costs me $500 MORE a month to rent a 2-bedroom apt. than a 1-bedroom. If I rented a house for optimal “family raising” conditions, it would cost even more. So already, we’re talking $108,000 just for him not to share a room with his mom. Even with extra-cheap child care until he turns 12, we’re talking $40,000 more. It would cost more than that for a parent to stay home for 12 years. That’s $148,000, and we haven’t even gotten to health insurance, medical expenses, food, or clothing yet.”
(Image found here)
Building a Tribe of True Believers
Found via Ypulse, Dan Pankraz’s thoughts on tribal marketing for youth audiences spoke directly to what OneSeventeen Media knows motivates kids to engage. These principles will be put into application in PlumbBrain’s launch. To summarize at a high level, Pankraz calls on brands to understand the value of:
- Agitating and disrupting the status quo
- Connected collective
- Power people
- True believers
- Lead them
- Create culture
- Tribal identification
- Constant content creation and ongoing storytelling platform
Be sure to read the full post to understand the power of Pankraz’s strategy.
(Image found here)
Half of 2009 Fortune 500 Founded During Recession
It pays to make the most of a down economy — this has been our mantra during the last year’s economic woes. While investors have held their purse strings tighter, we’ve continued to push ourselves and get to work helping kids.
OneSeventeen Media is in good company, according to a new study the Kauffman Foundation released today:
“The study, “The Economic Future Just Happened,” found that more than half of the companies on the 2009 Fortune 500 list were launched during a recession or bear market, along with nearly half of the firms on the 2008 Inc. list of America’s fastest-growing companies. “
Pushing onward is the winning strategy, for our investors and the kids we serve.
