Purpose
Digital stories will serve to document students’ study abroad experiences and provide an avenue to them to reflect on their study abroad experience, make meaning of it, and present it to fellow study abroad students and prospective students. It may also serve course requirements such as a final report, a journal, or a paper; students should check with their individual instructors about this.

Eligibility
Students enrolled in Study Abroad programs at WSU for the Spring/Summer 2009 may participate in this competition by submitting digital stories of their stay overseas.

Requirements
Students must register for participation in the FLTC Digital Stories competition prior to departure, work on their stories during their stay overseas in the Summer and submit their digital stories after they return.

Students are encouraged to work in groups to create the stories; groups can have 2 – 4 members. Students could select group members themselves; alternately, the FLTC could also facilitate in matching group members. Student groups must complete a registration form for participation in the Digital Stories competition. To download the registration form click here

Groups must turn in a 1-page "Treatment"’(An Outline) before departure.

Each group participating in the competition would have the option of checking out a digital camera from the FLTC for their stay overseas. However, groups must return the camera equipment to the FLTC on their return from abroad.

The FLTC will provide an orientation about fulfilling academic expectations, making digital stories, and using camera equipment and film editing software prior to departure. The FLTC will also offer the use of its Editing Suite for students’ use after their return from their stay overseas.

Students must participate in this orientation.

Criteria for judging digital stories
Digital stories created should reflect the attainment of one or more of the following goals for foreign culture:

Understand and appreciate cultural differences in human behavior, thought and values
Develop an in-depth knowledge of one or more cultures through a study of its humanities, history, or socio-cultural institutions
Compare the ways in which other cultures are similar or different from your own
Examine theory and methods used in analyzing the features of another culture
Learn about concepts not previously encountered
Develop skills of analysis, reasoning and/or evaluation
Enlarge understanding of societal and other issues

Digital Stories submitted will be judged for their Creativity, Storyline/Editing, Visuals and Capturing the essence of the country and its culture as described above. Submissions will be selected for Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Direction and Audience awards. Examples of categories for Digital Stories include Representation of Life, Fictional Representation, Documentary, Advertisements and Travelogues. Digital Stories can have a maximum length of 15 minutes only. Awards will be co-sponsored by the Study Abroad & Global Programs office.

Equipment Check-Out
Student groups checking out a camera from the FLTC would be responsible for the camera, and its safe return to the FLTC. Failure to do so could result in academic hold on the grade for all students in the group.

1.

Before departure – Student groups interested in participating in the digital story competition should complete Registration Form and submit to FLTC

2.

Pre-Departure Orientation – FLTC will conduct an orientation for students participating in the Digital Stories Competition before departure date.

3.

Students submit a one-page Treatment of their Digital Story prior to departure.

4.

Middle of October – Students finish working on films

5.

October, 16, 2009 (Friday) – Students submit Digital Stories for the competition to the FLTC

6.

Nov. 16-20, 2009 (exact date to be announced) – Awards will be announced by the FLTC at the Digital Stories Film Festival during international week.