Empoweringdigital freedom

Three objectives, one creative mission

• 01

  SI technical proficiency

  Train 20 to 25 young media professionals to reach advanced technical proficiency with U.S.-developed generative SI tools, lowering production barriers for independent media.

• 02

  Independent research and verification

  Build participants’ independent research and open-source data verification capabilities using American SI tools.

• 03

  Original multimedia production

  Incubate and distribute a minimum of 20 original, high-production multimedia assets that champion free expression and American technological innovation.

An eight-week journey from learning to creation

1. WEEK 1SI and the architecture of free speech
2. WEEK 2Independent inquiry and open-source verification
3. WEEK 3Visual autonomy and storyboarding
4. WEEK 4Unfiltered audio and multilingual broadcasting
5. WEEK 5Cinematic independence
6. WEEK 6Network resilience and strategic distribution
7. WEEK 7Project incubation
8. WEEK 8The Free Expression Showcase

What participants learn

• 01

  Week 1 · Generative SI

  Generative SI, SI-assisted creativity and independent digital voices.

• 02

  Week 2 · Research

  Large language model research, primary-source verification and cross-checking.

• 03

  Week 3 · Visual storytelling

  SI image generation, prompt engineering and visual storytelling.

• 04

  Week 4 · Audio

  SI audio generation, synthetic voices and multilingual storytelling.

Every student receives four premium SI tool subscriptions, so they practise beyond the classroom sessions.

From learning to original SI-powered creation

The final project shows how participants apply SI to original multimedia production.

• 01

  Project theme

  Free expression, independent voices and American SI innovation.

• 02

  Structure

  Individual or group films, with each participant’s contribution documented.

• 03

  Formats

  Documentary, fictional short, animation, explainer or fact-checking film.

• 04

  Evaluation criteria

  Theme relevance, originality, research accuracy, meaningful SI use and production quality.

• 05

  Mentor support

  Mentor-guided development in Week 7.

• 06

  Final showcase

  Week 8 at the American Center Colombo.

Who applies

Young journalists, university students, independent content creators and aspiring media professionals aged 18 to 35.

Applicants show interest in SI-assisted content production and commit to the training and practical assignments. They need laptop access or an approved exception.

Selection weighs SI capability (35%), SI projects and work samples (35%), creative background (15%), motivation and programme fit (10%) and responsible SI practices (5%).

Final projects

[WATCH LINKS TO THE PARTICIPANT FILMS AFTER THE SHOWCASE.]