With generous support from ZeroDivide and industry partners, BAVC Media hosted a new media institute in 2008 designed specifically to connect Bay Area nonprofit organizations to emerging digital media technologies. Open to all Bay Area 501(c)3 organizations, the inaugural Institute brought together 10 organizations that articulated a vision for how they can use a mobile or other new media applications to better serve their constituencies, realize their program goals, and maximize the fiscal benefits of instituting new technologies within their organization.

In an intensive six days over the course of three weeks, teams of nonprofit staff members (two per organization) participated in panel discussions, peer roundtables, intense one-on-one project development with technical mentors, new media storytelling workshops, and hands-on prototyping of their ideas. The participants adapted and developed text, video and audio content for delivery using a range of digital and interactive formats.

The Institute provided creative and technical mentors and instructors based on the needs of each project. At the end of five days, all participants presented their projects to a panel of community leaders, foundations and industry sponsors.

This program formed the basis of the the Digital Storytelling Institute, also conducted in partnership with ZeroDivide. Through the Institute, and other teacher training institutes and work with other nonprofit agencies, BAVC Media has trained nonprofit organizations and students throughout the state of California to harness and utilize digital storytelling as a means of advocacy and social change.  The following is a partial list of organizations BAVC Media has trained in digital storytelling:

  • A. P. Giannini Middle School Alliance for Technology Access
  • Arena Technology Center
  • Bay Area Young Survivors
  • Center for Accessible Technology (CforAT)
  • DDSO
  • Digital Safari at Mt. Diablo High School
  • DISKovery Center
  • Everett Middle School
  • Exceptional Parents Unlimited
  • Familia Unida
  • HELP of Ojai
  • Hoover Middle School
  • Horizons Unlimited of San Francisco, The DJ Project
  • Ida Wells High School
  • Instituto de Educación Popular del Sur de California (IDEPSCA)
  • Ink People Center for the Arts
  • La Clinica de la Raza
  • Marin Country Day School
  • Marina Middle School
  • Mercy Housing
  • OCCTAC
  • People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) and Community Technology Organizing Consortium (CTOC)
  • Rancho Cotate High School
  • Riverside Arts Council
  • San Francisco Community School
  • Self-Help for the Elderly (SHE)
  • Southern California Library
  • The Marin School
  • University of California Riverside (UCR)
  • Urban VOICE (Video Oratories Inspiring Common Equality)
  • Youth Together