Overview
A creative project uses artistic or alternative formats (like zines, video, poetry, photography, oral history, guided dialogue, etc.) to tell a story, share knowledge, or raise awareness about an important issue. In at least 250 words, write a proposal for your final creative project. This proposal should explain what topic you want to explore, why it matters, and how you plan to share your message outside of class.
Your proposal should address the following four areas:
1. Issue
- What do you want to teach, inform, or raise awareness about?
- How does this issue affect you, your family, or your community? What personal experiences shape your interest in this topic?
- Why should others care about this topic?
- Which themes from the course do this topic connect to? How?
Be sure to reference at least 3 sources, including one from our class materials (readings, discussions, films, etc.). These sources will support your understanding of this topic.
2. Audience
- Who is your intended audience (e.g., peers, family, community members, social media followers)? Be specific, think about age, race, language, education status, and other factor that make up your audience.
- Why did you choose this audience?
- Why is it important that they understand or engage with your topic?
3. Delivering the Message
- What format will you use to share your message?
(Examples: short film, photography, spoken word, interviews, podcast, written article, zine, community lesson, etc.) - Why is this the best way to reach your chosen audience? Think about the specific demographic details you shared abut your audience.
- Will your project be shared in person or online? If online, what platform(s) are you considering?
4. North Star
What is the overall mission and goal of your project?
Ethnic Studies was founded on the ideals of community education. To keep this spirit alive, your creative project will reconnect classroom learning with the larger world. You will raise awareness about a key concept, theme, or issue we’ve explored this semester through a creative, public-facing format.
This project is your opportunity to apply Ethnic Studies knowledge in a way that informs, inspires, or invites reflection from people beyond our classroom.
All projects must:
- Clearly express a concept, theme, or issue from the course.
- Your project should reflect deep understanding of at least one core topic/theme we've studied (e.g., mass incarceration, resistance, identity, intersectionality, colonialism, redlining, etc.)
- Be accessible to a public audience in one of the following ways:
- Published on a public platform (e.g., Instagram, YouTube, Medium, TikTok, Spotify, public zine)
- Performed or presented to a community group, family, peers, or through a public event or conversation
- Shared in a setting that extends learning beyond this classroom
- Align with your approved proposal and reflect instructor or peer feedback.
- Demonstrate intentionality and effort.
- The format should suit your topic and audience, and show thoughtful execution.
- Projects should go beyond surface-level treatment of the topic.
Project Format options (not limited to)
- Visual media: short film, vlog, photography exhibit, zine
- Performative: spoken word, speech, public reading, music performance
- Interactive: guided workshop, community dialogue, documentary Q&A
- Digital: social media campaign, podcast episode, Twitter thread
- Written: article, short story, blog post, o
- For my creative project‚ I want to do a short article about housing‚ money‚ and inequality in Los Angeles that will teach people how where a person lives can have an effect on that person's schools‚ health‚ safety‚ and future․ This issue matters to me because I live in Los Angeles and I see the differences in neighborhoods that have more money and greater access․ I want them to know that this didn't just happen by accident․ It was about racism‚ land‚ history‚ capitalism․But this connects to ethnic studies‚ because we are talking about race‚ power‚ land‚ capitalism‚ citizenship‚ and inequality in class․ And in our ethnic studies course‚ we learned that ethnic studies studies difference‚ and how power can leave some communities at a disadvantage․ The land and housing lecture connects to Native land loss‚ redlining‚ and gentrification․ In the citizenship lecture‚ the United States' failure to treat everyone equally in the Dred Scott and Plessy v․ Ferguson cases and during the Japanese internment is discussed․ The other text I will be using is the Teen Vogue article about capitalism and how capitalism creates inequality and is focused on maximizing profits over people․My audience is young people‚ young students in Los Angeles‚ between 16 and 25․ The reason for that is that actively and passively they interact with rent prices‚ with homelessness‚ with rich and poor neighborhoods every day‚ but they might not know why or where it all came from․ I think it is important for them to understand this because they will be voters‚ workers‚ renters‚ and leaders․I am going to share the message in article form․ I think this is the best way to present the issue in a clear‚ readable fashion․ Could be posted online somewhere‚ whether on Instagram or a class page or a student blog․ My North Star is to show that the system of housing inequality is not a random accident‚ but rather it's created by history‚ money‚ racism‚ and power․ My goal is to help people learn the truth and care enough to want change․
- MAKE THE PROJECT BASED OFF OF MY PROJECT PROPOSAL. IT NEEDS TO LOOK LIKE AN ARTICLE. NO PLAGIARISM OR AI, I NEED YOU TO CHECK TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NO AI ON THE WEBSITE GPT.ZERO BEFORE GIVING IT TO ME.