Calling high school students interested in creatively engaging with technology and its potential to shape the world we live in! This summer, Eyebeam will host its annual Digital Day Camp (DDC) online for 6 weeks from July 5 – August 13 for students across the country. Not only is the program entirely free for selected applicants, but all enrolled students will be paid a stipend of $300 for their work in the program!
DDC Students will work virtually alongside artist-educators and Eyebeam staff, engaging in hands-on workshops that focus on the intersection of art, technology, and community organizing. This year, we are continuing to build on a new online model for DDC that was initiated last year in response to the pandemic and will be incorporating a number of exciting new digital tools as well as increased opportunities for students to share their work with the broader Eyebeam community. Over the course of six weeks, students will be invited to explore and create their own examples of tech tools for community activism, culminating in a public presentation on the sixth week.
Build your World: Tech Tools for Community Action will be guided by these areas of focus:
• The role of technology in social movements throughout history, including the impact of earlier examples such as the printing press and radio.
• Technology’s role in activist practices today, both advantages and perils.
• Current issues in technology and influence on social movements: Surveillance and privacy, facial recognition, environmental impact, land rights and housing justice, and more.
Digital Day Camp will run for a total of six weeks from July 5 – August 13, 2021, and will consist of two groups of 15 students each. Structured workshops run 2 days a week for each cohort, with the third day of “open hours” midweek for both cohorts to meet.
Classes will meet on Zoom and Discord from 1 – 3:30 PM EST*. Cohort 1 will meet Mondays and Thursdays, and Cohort 2 will meet Tuesdays and Fridays. Applicants will be asked to indicate which section fits best with their schedule. Open Hours (for guest speakers, class questions, or collective play) led by teachers and TA’s are on Wednesdays from 1 – 3:30PM EST.
Please be prepared to spend up to 5 additional hours each week on self-study and work time. Class materials and schedules will be housed on Google Classroom & Google Calendar.
*Note that the first day (orientation) of the program will be half an hour longer, from 1 – 4 PM EST.
Participation in DDC is free for students accepted into the program. Students are offered a stipend of $300 for completing the 6-week program.
For DDC 2021 we are pleased to partner with Rentech who will be supplying free PC laptop rentals for students who need them to use during the run of the course. More information will be provided following acceptance to the program.
Students are eligible to apply if they:
• Were enrolled in a US-based high school during the 2020-2021 school year
• Can demonstrate an interest in art, technology, and/or cultural issues
• Have a willingness to learn new things
• Are available to attend 1 – 3:30 PM EST sessions on Mon/Thurs or Tues/Fri for the entire duration
• Have permission from their parent or legal guardian to participate
• Have a reliable internet connection.
Previous experience with new media tools and technology is not a prerequisite for the program. Many of our alumni have had no previous knowledge heading into DDC and found the program most rewarding. Due to timezone limitations, applicants must be US-based. Ideal candidates are interested in learning, excited about new environments and experiences, and want to engage with different students and artists!
*Eyebeam will provide laptops for students who need support in accessing a reliable computer during the program.
Any questions regarding this year’s Digital Day Camp or this application can be sent to the Programs Coordinator, Peyton Emery at [email protected]. For more information, visit our Digital Day Camp page.
Click here to learn more about DDC20, our first online program.
You can also view some of our favorite workshops from the past few years below:
Webs of Care by Ingrid Raphael (2020): Students imagined and envisioned systems of care that are sustainable, reciprocal, collaborative, and restorative. Via group discussion, and the creation of an online guidebook, students displayed, documented, and archived visual conceptions of new-alternative models of collaborative and communal care.
Memes of Dissent by Alice SparklyKat (2019):
In this workshop, students looked at memes outside of and within the USA to talk about how they may dissent to and inform our political climate, spread sentiments, and create solidarity. After being prompted with questions of “What are the layers of information someone would already have to know to understand this meme?”, “What makes a meme a meme?”, and “What does it mean when memes become more standard and corporate?”, students created their own memes around a self-chosen issue.
Digital Activism by Ari J Melenciano (2018): Students explored ways that technology can be used to interpret data and facts into visual or audio interactive experiences. Using p5.js, students built their own data art creations.
Eyebeam’s Digital DayCamp is grateful to Capital One Financial Corporation for their leadership support, as well as New York State Council on the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts for their generous contributions. We would also like to acknowledge Rentech and the School of Visual Arts for supplying laptops for this program.
