Emoti-Con! NYC Youth Digital Media & Technology Challenge 2014

On Saturday, June 14, 2014, over 150 New York City-area youth will gather at the Bartos Forum at the Fifth Avenue Library for the sixth annual Emoti-Con! NYC Youth Digital Media and Technology Challenge.

*** Youth presenters and their chaperones should arrive at 11am to set up their projects for the project fair.

*** Audience members should arrive at 11:30am.

The afternoon will feature:

• a science fair-style competition for technology & digital media projects created by by youth
• a youth project fair
• awards across several categories for exceptional projects
• great professional speakers, and
• catered lunch and cool giveaways for all!

Throughout the day, youth will present their work and engage in a city-wide dialogue about the role of new media and technology in their lives and on society. Participants come with a wide variety of digital media, such as digital comics, serious game designs, animated movies, assistive technology projects, DIY tech support, and more!

THE PROJECT FAIR:

During the Emoti-Con! project fair, youth participants from MOUSE, Global Kids, the New York Public Library, Parsons Pre-College Programs, WNYC Radio Rookies, and more will share their work with peers from across the five boroughs, get feedback on their projects from tech professionals, and explore life and work options across the digital media and technology landscape.

THE COMPETITION:

Youth who are interested in competing may enter their projects in the competition. Judges will circulate throughout the event and observe all competing projects, and at the end of the day, finalists will be announced in the following categories:

• Most Innovative Project
• Most Potential for Social Impact
• Most Entertaining Project
• Best Pitch
• Point of View
  and
• Crowd Favorite

The crowd will then vote on which finalist project receives which of these rewards!

TO PREPARE:
Here's what you can do to prepare to present your project in the project fair:

• Emoti-Con! will provide outlets, but please be sure to bring any equipment you need to present your project (laptop, projector, speakers, etc).
• Internet access may not be available during Emoti-Con. Therefore, if your project or presentation is web-based, make sure you have a way to present it offline (by storing it on a USB drive, taking screenshots or screencasts, etc).
• All attendees must bring signed media release forms to the event. Chaperones will receive an email with these waivers in the next few weeks.
• Bring everything you need to display not only your project but also details about how you made it, what it's for, why you made it, how it has changed over time, etc, such as:
  * Your completed or in-process project, along with models, mock-ups, and prototypes
  * Design documents, sketches, diagrams
  * Posters, display boards, or other visual aids
  * Slides, videos, or photos documenting the process of creating your project or using the finished product
• Be ready to talk about your project! During the project fair, people will be coming to your table to hear all about what you've been working on. Think about what you would say in 5 minutes or less to explain what your project is, how you made it, and any other details that you would want people to know.
• If you are competing in the competition, you should also prepare a short (think 5-10 minutes) pitch that you can give in front of the entire audience--finalists will be asked to present their project to everyone!
• You can also watch this video to learn more about how to get prepared to compete at Emoti-Con!
  

TO REGISTER:

Youth participants must meet the following requirements:

• You must be a New York City student in grades 6-12.
• Your project must be designed and produced by youth (you can have adult mentors/teachers/facilitators).
• Your project should fall into one or more of the following categories:
  • digital media (including web design, videos, podcasts, music, photo projects, and graphic design)
  • physical computing (including robotics, electronics, and anything you build with moving parts or blinking lights)
  • games or apps designed for digital formats
  • development of software or web-based tools
  • technology-infused social actions projects
  • hacks and mashups utilizing digital or tech mediums

We love hearing from as many of you as possible, and it’s always great to have an audience! Unfortunately, space at Emoti-Con! is limited, and priority goes to youth and educators who are presenting projects. If you don’t have a project to present, you can register as an audience member, be placed on a waiting list, and we'll be in touch with you in the event that space becomes available.

The same goes for educators from Hive NYC organizations who are not chaperoning student presenters: we love your enthusiasm and appreciate your interest, but priority is given to students presenting projects and their adult chaperones. Please register as an audience member, and we’ll let you know if space becomes available.

ANYTHING ELSE?

Check out our FAQ at http://tinyurl.com/emoti-con-FAQ, or email us at emoticon.nyc@gmail.com.