Join the SND Challenge:

Create a Multimedia Story with World-Leading Mentors

The Society for News Design (SND) invites university students from around the world to join the SND Challenge, a four-month international project guided by media professionals from outlets such as The New York Times, National Geographic, and The Washington Post.

What You'll Do

Students will work in teams, led by a professor, to produce an original multimedia story using GitHub Pages in a similar way used by visual journalists to build digital stories. Throughout the project, participants will receive mentoring and feedback from top industry professionals.

How It Works

1. Kickoff session: Meet journalists and designers from leading newsrooms and choose your story topic.
   
2. Development phase: Build your visual story with your professor's guidance.
   
3. Midpoint review: Get feedback from an SND story editor after three months.
   
4. Final showcase: Publish your project online and celebrate your work in a virtual ceremony with certificates for all participants.
   

Who Can Participate

• Open to student groups worldwide (minimum 3 students + 1 professor).
  
• Students should show strong commitment and creativity-SND will connect your team with volunteer mentors, so dedication is key!
  
• Projects can explore topics such as climate change, local reporting, or visual storytelling, but not strictly limited to those topics. The challenge is open to other topics and perspectives with visual potential.
  

Benefits

• Professional mentorship from top journalists and designers.
  
• Publication of your project on GitHub Pages.
  
• Official SND Certificate and 1-year SND membership for students and professors who complete the challenge successfully.
  
• Networking and access to SND workshops, competitions, and global newsroom communities.
  

Why GitHub?

GitHub is a collaborative platform where teams can build and host their own websites for free. You'll use it to create, edit, and publish your story just like professional newsroom developers do.

Learn more:

• GitHub Pages
• GitHub Desktop
• VS Code
• GitHub Copilot

Interested?

Talk to your professor about forming a group and joining the 2025 SND Challenge! SND will provide coordination, mentoring, and all the resources you need to bring your story to life. Or send us an email if you need more information at [email protected]