“It's time that more information is made available to storytellers so that they can make a positive impact on society.” -- Stephanie Blumstein
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) December 19, 2013
As student submissions grow, the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC) is pleased to announce that it has extended its deadline for the Generation Next Competition and allow additional film and television, journalism and social media students and classes in Winter/Spring terms to participate. Entrants must apply on or before February 14, 2014, for their opportunity to play leading roles in changing the way people view mental health.
“Many of the students who applied to the competition were introduced to Generation Next in the classroom. Extending the deadline gives faculty who expressed an interest in participating in Generation Next’s curricular support program an opportunity to share our mental health resources in the spring semester, and, therefore, to encourage more students in all three tracks of the competition to enroll,” said Marie Gallo Dyak, Executive Vice President Program Services & Government Relations.
“I've been looking for an opportunity like [Generation Next] for sometime now and I am very excited to be a part of this competition. I've been personally struggling with my own mental health challenges for sometime now, as well as becoming whole with my identity as a Latino and someone who is looking for his place in the LGBTQ community,” said one participant from Cal State Long Beach.
Generation Next, a program of the EIC, is facilitated by TEAM Up (Tools for Entertainment and Media) and supported by the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA), an organization of county governments working to improve mental health among Californians. The purpose of this competition is to empower the next generation of content creators to use the power and influence of media to promote accurate and authentic portrayals of mental health in storytelling, news reporting and social media campaigns, by recognizing their immense talent.
Schools that are participating in Generation Next to date include Chapman University, UCI, UCLA, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Northridge, Sacramento State, Brooks Institute, Humboldt State, Chico State, Loyola Marymount University, Cal State Fullerton, San Luis Obispo, San Diego State, Cal State Bakersfield, and community colleges across California.
“Mental illness can be a difficult topic to cover and one that is sometimes stereotyped in mass media such as film and television, in addition to the news media. People are so influenced by what they read, see and hear that it is our duty as journalists and filmmakers (aka storytellers) to present the topic of mental illness in a fair and accurate manner. It's time that more information is made available to storytellers so that they can make a positive impact on society,” said Stephanie Blumstein, Journalism Professor at California State University, Northridge.
The Generation Next competition will feature three winners – one from each of the three categories (film and television, journalism and social media). Each winner will be rewarded with a $4,000 cash prize and will receive recognition at the 2014 PRISM Awards Ceremony along with mentoring sessions with entertainment, journalism and social media professionals, as well as mental health experts. In addition to this, winners will have their student productions aired on EICnetwork.tv, a global internet television network and be given the opportunity to take part in a collaborative program with Active Minds, a mental health organization led by college students.
About Entertainment Industries Council
EIC is a non-profit organization founded in 1983 by leaders within the entertainment industry to bring the power and influence of the industry to communicate about health and social issues. The organization is considered to be the chief pioneer of entertainment and journalism outreach and a premiere success story in the field of entertainment education. This mission relies on providing resource information to the creative community and culminates in recognition of the industry through the national television special PRISM Showcase that addresses accurate portrayals of substance use issues and mental health concerns. The organization also produces the SET Awards, honoring positive and non-stereotypical portrayals of science, engineering and technology. For a complete list of health and social issues addressed by EIC and local projects please visit EIC’s website http://www.eiconline.org.
To apply visit the Generation Next website is http://www.eiconline.org/teamup/gen-next/. To view the Generation Next promotional video, visit http://eicnetwork.tv/Videos/HealthWellness/HWScreeningRoom/TabId/871/VideoId/296/Generation-Next-Promo.aspx
About the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA)
A portion of the Entertainment Industries Council’s mental health programming is funded by the voter‐approved Mental Health Services Act (Proposition 63). It is one of several Prevention and Early Intervention initiatives implemented by CalMHSA, an organization of county governments working to improve mental health outcomes for individuals, families and communities. For more information, visit http://www.calmhsa.org.
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