We invite you to join us in Massachusetts this fall for an amazing gathering of digital storytelling professionals, academics, youth and activists. The conference is hosted by Smith College and the Five Campus Consortium (Smith College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Amherst College). This will be the first time the International Conference will be held in the Western Hemisphere, and we are thrilled to have an opportunity to bring the international community to the United States.

As we have watched the events of the Fall of 2014 in the United States unfold regarding issues of race and social justice, we wanted the conference to reflect the current events by focussing on a principal theme of Youth and Activism. Our goal is to hold a one day youth summit in conjunction with the 2.5 day conference, a portion of which will be integrated to join the two events. In addition, we will be inviting an exploration of any number of additional themes including the use of Digital Storytelling in public health, curriculum, intercultural and international education, service learning, sustainability and the environment, heritage and memory, participation and social inclusion, as well as new and innovative forms of participatory media.

The conference will host various events in its structure for inclusion of diverse perspectives and voices. While there will be a formal process of juried paper presentation sessions for academics, we will also provide space for practitioners from community settings to present. We will work to have exhibition opportunities for individual digital stories, as well as a number of ancillary workshops, special events, and exhibitions to be held in the period surrounding the conference.