Digital stories are short video autobiographies created by current and former foster youth. The youth spend 3 ½ days making their digital stories, during which they learn how to use the computer programs used to create them, how to write and record their own narration, how to include their own pictures, and choose their own soundtrack. The youth control every aspect in the creation of these stories.

­We feel that digital stories are a great tool for teaching from the foster youth's perspective, but above all, they are a highly empowering experience for youth to create—to be able to think about their story, tell it in their own way, and have it produced and used for the purposes of improving care.

Y.O.U.T.H. digital stories are made at the Center for Digital Storytelling in Berkeley.