Directing Change

Judge Sign-Up Form

 

Judge Sign-Up Form

  • Thank you for your interest in judging for Directing Change! Annual Contest judging typically takes about 2 hours, is completed entirely online, and occurs each year in late March. Forms are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year, and you can expect to hear more from us as the next Annual Contest judging period approaches.

    Note: The information collected with this form will not be shared with organizations or people not associated with the Directing Change Program.
  • Judge Training Webinar: Judges will receive an invite to a judge orientation webinar ahead of Annual Contest judging in late March. This webinar is optional for returning judges, but new judges are strongly encouraged to attend. Judges may also view a recorded version of a previous webinar as a refresher on scoring youth films.

  • Here are a few examples:
    Estela Padilla: Estela Padilla is the Outreach and Education Coordinator for the Kern County Mental Health (KCMH) Department. Estela coordinates outreach and education efforts as well as leads the May is Mental Health Awareness month activities in Kern County.

    Elaine E. Collins: I have been supporting and empowering adolescents for over 25 years in a high school setting and look forward to the day when mental health issues are no longer stigmatized.

  • Our monthly Hope & Justice category asks young people to express themselves and use their feelings and their voice to encourage purposeful action and to start conversations that matter – through art. Unlike our Annual Contest, a range of artforms – including visual art, written works, and original music – are submitted (in addition to films). Youth submit entries related to the themes of “Hope,” “Justice,” or a monthly prompt. The time commitment for judging is about 2 hours per month, with contests occurring monthly during the school year.
  • Hidden

  • For our Annual Contest, youth submit films to one of the following categories: Suicide Prevention, Mental Health, Through the Lens of Culture, Animated Short, Walk in Our Shoes, and Hope & Justice. You can learn more about these categories here The Directing Change team assign judges to categories based on a number of factors, including contest need. However, if you do have a strong preference for and/or expertise particularly relevant to a specific category, our team will try to accommodate that. Please use the box below to note your category preference (if any) and/or to elaborate on your relevant experience.
If you are experiencing an emotional crisis, are thinking about suicide or are concerned about a friend, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7)
Directing Change is part of statewide efforts to prevent suicide, reduce stigma and discrimination related to mental illness, and to promote the mental health and wellness of students. These initiatives are funded by counties through the Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63) and administered by the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA), an organization of county governments working to improve mental health outcomes for individuals, families and communities.
Suicide Prevention Awareness Your Social Marketer, Inc.