Student Showcase

Overview

The CCLL Student Showcase invites students to dive into creating original works that tackle meaningful social topics, providing a space for impactful storytelling.

Through this initiative, students can use their creative skills to bring attention to the social issues they care about most, sharing their unique perspectives with a wider audience. This year, students will craft original pieces that thoughtfully examine a particular issue impacting American society or their own communities.

How can your creativity change the world?

1.

Choose an Prompt:
Pick an prompt that resonates with you.

Get Started

2.

Select a
Creative Medium:
Choose how you will creatively express your thoughts.

3.

Create & Submit: Develop your original work and submit it by the deadline.

4.

Celebrate Your Achievement: Showcase your work and get feedback from experts.

Launch:
November 6, 2024

Timeline

Project Creation:
November 7, 2024 -
February 19, 2025

Submission Deadline: February 20, 2025

Review Period:
February 21 -
March 31, 2025

Winners Announced:
April 23, 2025 at the GRID Summit

Step #1:
Choose a Prompt

Select a prompt to explore a social issue creatively. Options include telling the story of a local activist, addressing a global challenge, depicting a community's social challenge, or capturing generational perspectives on a shared issue. Include a brief statement explaining your concept and message. Select below for more info.

  • Through your creative medium, tell the story of a local activist or community leader who has made an impact on your community. In addition to the video submittal, include a brief statement explaining the concept and the message you want to convey.

  • Through your creative medium, address a specific global challenge from the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, such as homelessness, mental health, or climate change. In addition to the video submittal, include a brief statement explaining the concept and the message you want to convey.

  • Through your creative medium, tell the story of a community facing a social challenge. Focus on the emotions, struggles, and hopes of the people affected. In addition to the video submittal, include a brief statement explaining the concept and the message you want to convey.

  • Through your creative medium, capture the experiences of different generations within your community regarding a shared social issue (e.g., education, job opportunities). Focus on ways to highlight their unique perspectives and potential solutions.  In addition to the video submittal, include a brief statement explaining the concept and the message you want to convey.

Step #2: Select a Creative Medium

Creative Formats for Submission

  • Spoken Word (3 minutes max)

  • Original Monologue (3 minutes max)

  • Original Choreography (3 minutes max)

  • Original Music Video (3 minutes max)

  • Original Song and Slideshow (3 minutes max)

  • Slideshow of Original Art (minimum of 3 pieces)

  • Original Graphic Design (minimum of 5 pieces)

  • Original Animated Short (3 minutes max)

  • Original Narrative Short (3 minutes max)

  • Mini Documentary (3 to 10 minutes max)

  • Video Podcast (3 to 5 minutes max)


NOTE: These are the recommended lengths for your project. There is no minimum, and the maximum time is just a suggestion. If your project exceeds the recommended duration, that's okay.

Samantha Camarena, Xavier Ojeda Hernandez, and Sophia Parker
Santiago Charter Middle School
Title: The Bullying Crisis

Ezra Noah Bihis, Jonathan Machado
San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts
Title: Peace Dies in Genocide

JD Ramirez, Sherina Johnson, Andrea Mendez, Karla Morales, Alondra Olvera
East Valley High School
Title: In Honor of Black History Month

Step #3: Submit Your Work

Submission & Evaluation

All student submissions will be featured on our dedicated YouTube Showcase platform, ensuring a wide audience for their work. A panel of creative professionals, peers, and educators will review and score the projects. Winners will be selected based on creativity, originality, relevance to the prompt, and technical quality.
The submission process opens on February 5, 2025.

Step #4: Celebrate Your Achievement

On April 23, 2025, we’ll proudly announce the winners at the GRID Summit in Los Angeles. Join us for an inspiring day filled with celebration, where we’ll recognize the hard work, creativity, and dedication of all participants. Get ready to connect, reflect on your journey, and enjoy the spotlight—you’ve earned it! Mark your calendar!

FAQ

Q1: How will my project be evaluated? Your project will be assessed by a panel of distinguished judges, including creative industry professionals, teachers, and your peers.

Q2: What criteria are used in the evaluation? The evaluation is based on the following criteria:

  • Alignment with the Prompt: Ensuring your project closely follows the theme or question outlined in your assignment.

  • Technical Skills and Execution: Evaluating the skillful use of tools, techniques, and materials in your project.

  • Creativity and Problem Solving: Assessing the originality of your project and how you handle challenges during the creative process.

  • Final Presentation: Looking at how well-organized, polished, and clearly communicated your project is.

  • Visual Impact and Aesthetics: Judging the overall artistic impact and aesthetic appeal of your project.

  • Message Clarity and Relevance: Ensuring the purpose or message of your project is clear and relevant to the theme.

Q3: What should I focus on to align well with the prompt? Focus on directly relating to and covering all the elements or guidelines outlined in the assignment to ensure strong alignment with the prompt.

Q4: How important is creativity in my project? Creativity is crucial. It involves introducing new ideas or perspectives that stand out. Your ability to navigate and solve any challenges creatively also plays a significant role.

Q5: What constitutes a good final presentation? A good final presentation is well-organized, polished, and clearly communicates your ideas or themes to someone unfamiliar with the project’s development.

Q6: What impact should my project have visually and aesthetically? Your project should be visually striking or aesthetically pleasing, making an observer stop and look, regardless of the concept it conveys.

Q7: How can I ensure my project’s message is clear? Your project should clearly convey its purpose or message to the audience, relevant to the project's theme or question.

Q8: Where can I find more information about the evaluation process? For more detailed information, visit the Student Showcase evaluation rubric.