Hats off to YouTube.
YouTube is investing more money into their Creators for Change program by giving them an additional $5 million dollars.
Creators for Change, which first launched in 2016, seeks out vloggers and channels on YouTube who work to counter hate by instead promoting tolerance. The project began with $1 million that went to the channel’s production, equipment and marketing, and has been growing ever since.
“YouTube Creators for Change is a global initiative that supports creators like you — creators who are tackling social issues and promoting awareness, tolerance and empathy on their YouTube channels,” the mission statement reads. “Because no matter what kind of videos we make, we all have the power to help create the world we want.”
YouTube also announced that the program would be expanding to include new members, which will be revealed in the upcoming months. Currently, there are 39 ambassadors and fellows who are included in Creators for Change — including Evelyn from the Internets, ArthurPrsl, BENI, Film Maker Muslim and L-FRESH The LION.
The announcement of the $5 million was made at the Creators for Change Summit, which was held in London and celebrated the progress they’ve made so far.
“Through Creators for Change, we’ve educated over 15,000 young people in over 200 locations through local grassroots efforts, including workshops and school programs,” YouTube’s head of public policy Juniper Downs said in a post. “In fact, students surveyed in Germany and the United Kingdom reported a significant increase in confidence in their ability to identify and counter hate speech online as a result of the workshops. And we’re just getting started…”
Downs went on to speak about their plan for 2018 and how she hopes the additional funds will help more young people to speak out in positive ways on social media.