A Content Creator Bootcamp aimed at positively engaging the Gen Z and millennial generations with Israel is launching today, thanks to a joint venture of ISRAEL21c and the TalkIsrael Foundation.

The online bootcamp will provide Israel-based Gen-Z (aged 17 to 24) content creators with training on best practices and how to create great content and grow their audiences on social media.

They will receive one-on-one coaching, opportunities to collaborate with other creators and brands, an investment in growing their personal brand and following and potential opportunities for future collaboration with ISRAEL21c, TalkIsrael and other partners.

The content that they will create will be shared on the TalkIsrael app and social media channels, ISRAEL21c social media channels, and on their personal pages. 

Relating on a personal level

“Our goal for 2023 is to have three separate cohorts that focus on different platforms,” explains ISRAEL21c Executive Director Jason Harris.

“We initially chose to start with creators in Israel because the No. 1 greatest need that we at ISRAEL21c and TalkIsrael identified is an extreme lack of quality content in English coming from young Israeli creators,” he says.

“If we want to leverage social media as a tool to create connections between Israel and the Western world, we need to empower authentic young Israeli voices.”

“We are hoping that through the eyes of these young creators, American Gen-Zs who don’t necessarily know a lot about Israel or were only exposed to negative content, will get a better understanding of Israel and its people, and will be able to relate to it on a personal level,” adds Elena Yacov, Executive Director of the TalkIsrael Foundation.

“We provide a wide range of trainings and tools to young creators to help them reach larger audiences and create better content. Our social media channels and unique mobile app allow anyone who wants to know more about Israel to learn about, get inspired by, and share relevant and authentic Israel-related content,” she notes.

‘I want to showcase my story’

Twenty-year old Moria Azulay from the Israeli coastal city of Ashdod is one of the bootcamp participants.

“What made me apply for the program is that I strongly believe in the goal of the program, and I want to create content that will bring people closer to Israel by sharing my unique experiences,” she says.

“My goals for the program are to succeed in creating quality content that will showcase my story as an Israeli, to increase my following and build a community, and to use the power of social media to change things that matter to me.”

Effecting change is also what made fellow bootcamper Mor Dekel from the central town of Hod Hasharon apply for the program.

“I’ve always liked change,” explains the 17-year-old. “I see change as a good thing that has always been a part of our world. I am passionate about the new technologies that are taking over the world so quickly and changing everything we know.

“I think that as a part of being Gen Z, with the stigmas of us always being on our phone, we can use the power we have as a result of that through social media to make a change and have a great impact, especially with the knowledge that this bootcamp would provide me with.”

Untapped talent

“It’s really important for us to engage the Gen Z and millennial generation combined with ISRAEL21c’s new approach on social media and this bootcamp is a way for us to continue to educate future content creators on how to connect with others around Israel,” notes Andrew Exler, ISRAEL21c’s director of digital marketing and partnerships.

“We want to increase the good news from the Israel ecosystem wherever it might live,” Harris concludes. “We believe there’s a great opportunity with untapped talent that just requires a little bit of coaching.”

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