Tech is the trending form of advocacy. It has never been more apparent than when we sheltered in place and shared this year. Devastating images and videos in the media mobilized people from all age groups to advocate, but with some being unable to take to the streets, many have begun using their social media and online presence to enact change. With this framework in mind, students will develop tools and strategies for advocating and inciting change in their community. Students will connect with a variety of different advocacy groups and analyze the tools that they use to communicate their message to the community. They will perform target audience research and identify appropriate tools (advocacy) for reaching that audience, as well as identify the strengths and weaknesses of each tool. Finally, they will create a suite of tutorials to explain and demonstrate how the tools are used and present them to their community partners.
What issues in your community do you feel need more public awareness?
What groups and organizations are out there bringing awareness to the issues?
What technologies do advocacy groups use to amplify their voices?
What technologies do the people most affected by your issues use to stay informed?
Students will host a Hoover Community workshop on Advocacy Technologies. At this exhibition, students will present their tech suites to local advocacy organizations in order to promote innovative, tech-based ways to amplify their voices and advocate for change.