News

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.

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Media Contact: 
Mike Lawrence | Executive Director
California Student Media Festival 
info@mediafestival.org | mediafestival.org