With a student body consisting of over 66,000 students and faculty and staff totaling over 12,000, UCF is home to many communities, organizations and unique experiences. Elizabeth Horn, an assistant professor in the School of Performing Arts, was inspired to create a platform for people across campus to share their personal UCF story. The I Am UCF Digital Storytelling Initiative was formed by Horn with faculty from theatre, digital media, English and writing and rhetoric as a cross-disciplinary effort to create stories representing the diverse narratives of students, faculty and alumni.
I AM UCF allows students to get creative by fusing together writing, performance, visual displays and digital media. Students and faculty are encouraged to make a 3 to 4-minute video telling a personal story about how place and identity have been part of their UCF experience. Their story is shared on the I AM UCF website where each story gets placed on a map of campus where they feel the most at home on campus.
“The goals of the program are to celebrate diversity and to show both an individual experience and a universal experience,” says Horn. “We can come together as a group with common themes, but all the stories are unique.” I AM UCF is designed to highlight the individual’s experience at UCF and connect on campus with others through storytelling.
For individuals who submit a video before December 7, there is a scholarship showcase. The in-person showcase will be held on Thursday, January 24 at 10 a.m. where faculty and staff will judge the videos. The top three winners of the student category will receive scholarships, while the video with most likes on social media will also receive a scholarship.
To submit a video or vote on your favorite one, visit iamucf.cah.ucf.edu. The deadline to participate in the showcase is December 7th at 5:00p.m.