Competition offers youth chance to tell their stories

AT&T launched a new initiative – Believe Atlanta — to collaborate with community leaders and organizations to help tackle the chronic challenges of poverty, skills gaps and crime in Atlanta’s Westside to help cultivate a future of opportunity and promise, according to a news release.

AT&T leaders presented a $250,000 check to the Westside Future Fund, bringing the total of AT&T contributions in the past year to more than $1 million to numerous planned projects with key community organizations that share our passion for — and commitment to — the future of Atlanta’s historic Westside.

An extension of AT&T Believes, a larger company-wide initiative designed to create positive change in local communities, Believe Atlanta is connecting AT&T employees to volunteer opportunities in four Westside neighborhoods: Vine City, English Avenue, Ashview Heights and Atlanta University Center.

Youth participating in the creative industry program worked collaboratively to create three separate mini-documentaries as part of the Westside Storytelling Competition. Three videos are available on the competition website for the world to view and vote on their favorite story of the Westside.

The video that receives the most votes through Monday will win the competition.

T he winning video will be announced at the Feb. 1 Westside Future Fund Summit, and the winning film crew will be given the opportunity to attend a guided behind-the-scenes tour of DIRECTV NOW’s Super Saturday Night with re:imagine/ATL, the At-Promise Center and AT&T.

To view the videos and vote: WestsideStorytellingCompetition.com.