YES alumni from Libya celebrated the 20th anniversary of the YES program from May 12-14. Sixteen Libyan alumni from six different cohorts attended a special celebration and workshop in Tripoli. Throughout the workshop, the participants learned how to produce compelling written and visual content that captures their YES experience. 

The workshop kicked off with opening remarks from Abdul-Rahman Kenyatta, the Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy Libya, who joined virtually to celebrate the 20th anniversary with the alumni. Maysm Alshibani, the Public Affairs Specialist at the U.S. Embassy Libya, also attended the three-day workshop in person. She emphasized the importance of storytelling and encouraged the alumni to share their YES experiences to inspire other youth in their communities. 

The alumni learned about storytelling fundamentals, including the hero's journey, the three-act structure, and the power of emotion. They also worked in groups to develop scripts for their stories. Once they understood the basics, they delved into learning about how to shoot a compelling video, focusing on camera angles, lighting, framing, and shot types. The workshop also equipped the alumni with a basic understanding of editing and post-production, covering techniques such as basic editing, adding music and sound effects, color correction, and special effects. On the final day, the alumni worked in groups to film short digital stories. 

Following the workshop, the alumni were tasked with developing a website story to capture their YES experience and creating a short video using the skills they learned during the workshop.