DREAM • CREATE • CELEBRATE
News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Los Angeles, CA - March 28, 2026
CSMF Supports Digital Wellness Bill
Dr. Darshana R. Patel, Chair
Assembly Education Committee
Subject: SUPPORT AB 2071 (Hoover)
Dear Dr. Patel,
On behalf of the California Student Media Festival, we respectfully urge your support for AB 2071 (Hoover), which would require California middle and high schools that offer health education to include digital wellness instruction within existing mental health education.
The leaders of the nation’s oldest celebration of student creativity seek to transform preK-12 student learning by recognizing creativity and student agency through the cultivation of original digital creations. We support AB 2071 because the festival has found that media literacy and digital wellness skills are increasingly essential for student wellbeing.
Our state’s teens are navigating an increasingly complex digital landscape characterized by social media algorithms, AI-generated content, cyberbullying, online misinformation, and smartphone overuse — often with limited formal guidance from their schools. Research increasingly links unhealthy or excessive technology use with anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, and other mental health challenges among adolescents.
California schools already require mental health instruction in health education courses, but that mandate does not consistently address the digital environments where many of today's mental health challenges originate. AB 2071 helps close this gap by ensuring students learn practical skills for navigating technology safely, critically, and mindfully. We believe digital wellness is vital for students' health and academic success.
The California Student Media Festival strongly urges your yes vote on AB 2071.
Sincerely,
Mike Lawrence, Executive Director & Karen Green, President
California Student Media Festival
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Los Angeles, CA - February 10, 2026
Scholarships for California Student Storytellers
As a recent Wall Street Journal report highlights that companies are "desperately seeking storytellers" to navigate a fractured media landscape, the California Student Media Festival (CSMF) announced a new scholarship program for 2026, sponsored by Book Creator from Kami, designed to recognize and support students who have mastered the art of digital narrative.
Beginning in 2026, CSMF and Book Creator from Kami will award two $1,000 scholarships to standout student creators. Winners will be selected using CSMF’s long-standing, rigorous evaluation rubric, which prioritizes clarity of story, creativity, and ethical media use alongside technical execution.
"The WSJ report confirms what we’ve known for years: storytelling is a core business capability, not a soft skill," said Mike Lawrence, volunteer executive director of the festival. "By partnering with Book Creator from Kami, we are providing a bridge from the classroom to a career. We aren’t just judging student projects; we are identifying the future leaders of all industries."
“Partnering with the California Student Media Festival enables us to celebrate the next generation of bold, creative storytellers while showcasing the full power of our Book Creator product.” said Hengjie Wang, Kami CEO. Our UDL-aligned suite of products support our 70 million-strong community as they fulfill a love of learning, be it “Book Creator for expression, Kami for interactive lessons and Kami Companion for accessibility - we want to empower students to create, interact, and share their learning in meaningful ways.”
The California Student Media Festival is now entering its 60th year. Educators and students are encouraged to review the established rubric at mediafestival.org/rubric. The award ceremony will be held at the Mark Taper Auditorium in downtown LA’s Central Library on May 23, 2026. Entries are due March 31 at mediafestival.org.
The California Student Media Festival - founded in 1967, is the oldest student media festival in the United States, fostering student agency and media literacy for 60 years. An all-volunteer non-profit, the festival is free for TK-12 students to enter and free for all to attend.
Book Creator, part of the Kami family, makes it easy for students to showcase what they’ve learned through beautiful, shareable artifacts. It’s part of our mission to support every learner with UDL-aligned tools, alongside Kami for interactive lessons and Kami Companion for web accessibility. Join a community of 70 million educators and learners making magic happen in the classroom.
#
Media Contact:
Mike Lawrence | Executive Director
California Student Media Festival
info@mediafestival.org | mediafestival.org
Media Resources
