If you have children, chances are they spend a significant amount of time watching YouTube. Children comprise one of the site’s biggest consumer groups — a recent Pew study found that YouTube content geared towards kids is the most popular content on the site.
But what if your child was doing more than simply watching YouTube? What if your child was a YouTube creator?
This September, we’re launching a YouTube Creator course for 10 to 14-year-olds interested in learning how to shoot, film and edit their own projects. This class takes children beyond video consumption, teaching them production skills they can use to create their own professional creative projects.
No prior knowledge of film or editing is required; this class is for beginners.
‘I want to be a YouTuber when I grow up’
For adults, YouTube might seem like just a library of videos, but children have a completely different understanding of the site. Sharing stories online is part of the way kids communicate with one another, so for many kids, YouTube is a part of their lives — it’s a source of entertainment as well as a social network. They’ve grown up watching YouTube influencers the way other generations grew up watching cartoons.
In fact, many children think of YouTube as a viable career option. According to a survey released this summer, more children would rather be vloggers or YouTube stars than astronauts.
Because most of us walk around with video cameras in our pockets, it’s possible for your child to start learning how to create video content now, while they’re under the watchful eye of an instructor and you, their parent.
About this course
We believe that kids learn best in small groups, from qualified teachers, while interacting with a supportive group of their peers. For that reason, our courses are small as well as synchronous.
This course combines video production and storytelling with online know-how, to teach your child how to go beyond sharing stories online and make videos that are a form of artistic expression.
Kids learn to produce their own videos in various styles, from an interview format to Charlie Chaplin-style movies. They’ll learn to plan a storyboard, use different shooting angles, use professional editing tools and learn the best practices when it comes to sharing their projects on YouTube.
Classes start September 8-12 and run two hours weekly, for nine months.
