Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) named Kyler Hansen a national winner in its 11th Annual Digital Arts Festivals competition supported by Comcast. Hansen earned top honors for his entry in the film category in the 16-18 age group.
The stop-motion animation category asked Boys & Girls Club members to create their own stop-motion animated short story depicting their future plans or goals. Hansen’s movie, entitled Chef Kyler, showcased his creativity and tech skills learned at Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County.
The Digital Arts Festivals features six categories including Music Making, Photography, Game Design, Graphic Design, Film and Animation. The Festivals allow BGCA and Comcast to give young people an avenue to get creative and design original pieces of digital artwork – from songs and photography to stop-motion animation and short films. The competition is one component of BGCA’s technology program which teaches critical technology skills to Club members age 6-18.
“Through the Digital Arts Festivals we’re able to inspire our future photographers, designers, game developers, filmmakers and musicians,” said Ryan Smiley, interim President of Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County. “It is amazing what our Club youth can do when given access to technology and allowed to express themselves creatively.”
“We are proud to support Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Digital Arts Festivals and to help inspire a new generation of leaders who are equipped with strong digital literacy skills to help them succeed in school and beyond,” said Charisse R. Lillie, Vice President, Community Investment, Comcast Corporation and President, Comcast Foundation. “All of this year’s entrants produced impressive projects, and we congratulate Kyler on this honor.”
As a national winner in the teen division, Hansen along with teen winners from all six categories will receive an expenses-paid summer trip to San Diego that includes an awards gala to honor teens, sightseeing and job-shadowing experiences.
Each year, around 20,000 Club youth from across the globe compete in local festivals. The Festivals are just one way that Boys & Girls Clubs of America provide technology access to some 4 million youth served by some 4,000 Clubs nationwide and abroad. To learn more about the Digital Arts Festivals and to view past national winners visit our Digital Arts Festivals Gallery.