Hundreds of students and educators from 29 states and 72 schools gathered for the 5th Annual Content Generation Workshop (CGW), held on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s campus and streamed virtually to schools nationwide.
Hosted by fast-growing edtech, Class Intercom, the annual event brings together the next generation of storytellers: students who are shaping how schools communicate, connect, and build community online. From the moment the doors opened and the livestream began, students were ready to learn, collaborate, and engage in a little friendly competition.
Through a full day of expert sessions and quick-hit challenges, participants explored what it means to tell meaningful, authentic stories on social media—stories that celebrate community, highlight student voice, and showcase the heart of their schools.
Inspiration Through Storytelling
This year’s keynote speaker, social entrepreneur Mike Smith, kicked things off with his session, Storytelling by Design. A youth advocate, founder, and lifelong creator, Mike shared lessons from his work establishing and building The Bay, Bay High, and Rabblemill—projects that have inspired countless young people to use creativity as a force for good.
He challenged students to think differently about their own experiences and stories. Not just the stories they tell online, but the ones they’re living every day. He spoke about how to live a story worth telling and how (and why!) to share it with an audience. As he weaved through his own successes and setbacks, Mike encouraged students to own their experiences, embrace failure as part of the process, and lead with authenticity.
Mike Smith asks students, “Who do you want to be?” during his session at CGW 2025.
Students were a captive audience, eager to participate in Mike’s guided reflection exercises. He asked them questions like, “Who do you want to be?” and “What’s your storytelling mix?” His message resonated deeply, sparking conversations among teams about purpose, passion, and voice.
As he wrapped up, Mike issued the first challenge of the day: for students to use what they had learned about storytelling to create a social media post for Digital Citizenship Week.
Hands-On Creation & Collaboration
Throughout the day, a series of Quick Hit Challenges gave students the chance to turn inspiration into action. With just 15 minutes on the clock, teams were challenged to think fast, work collaboratively, and test their creativity and technical skills. Between speaker sessions, they raced to create original content while applying lessons in storytelling, caption writing, graphic design, and interviewing.
To publish their content, students were added to The Content Generation‘s social media channels, hosted by Class Intercom, through its social media management platform, which is uniquely designed for this purpose. The set-up allowed students to create and contribute posts from their unique perspectives through a secure, central platform, where a moderator (this time, from Class Intercom), reviewed and approved posts (or sent them back to students with feedback). In addition to creating engaging content for each challenge, students had to consider how their posts would fit within a professional brand, much like they would when creating content for their own schools.
By midday, The Content Generation social feeds were buzzing with posts that were clever, high-quality, heartfelt, and representative of the incredible talent among the students in the room and those participating virtually across the nation.
These challenges built on a series of sessions led throughout the day by experts in areas like brand management, marketing, and professional design. Social media marketing expert Jordyn Swanson shared tips for writing captions that provide context and connect audiences to stories. Bailey Herrera, Class Intercom’s Content Lead, offered techniques for capturing great visuals on iPhones, Design and Marketing Manager Sarah Patrick walked students through design principles in Canva.
Insights from professionals in fields like marketing, design, brand management, and other areas that transcend industries and sectors help students understand where they have opportunities to channel their skills and passions into future careers.
Class Intercom Founder and CEO Ben Pankonin led a fireside chat with Adi Kunalic, the former college football and NFL athlete who went on to found NIL marketplace, Opendorse. The two discussed emerging trends around content, athletes, and name, image, and likeness. They also zoomed out for a broader take on what brands look for in content creators and how authenticity and consistency drive engagement.
The afternoon wrapped up with a panel featuring both student and industry voices from various perspectives across education: an educator from Nebraska’s Lincoln Public Schools, a student creator from nearby Hastings College, a high school administrator from a local secondary school, and a nonprofit leader from a youth-centered nonprofit organization focused on helping kids and teens engage responsibly online. The panelists shared their unique perspectives on how students can create meaningful content that connects and how they can engage in social platforms while maintaining balance and intention.
Celebrating Growth & New Opportunities
As opportunities for students to participate in social media storytelling continue to grow nationwide, Class Intercom has been at the forefront of helping schools turn that opportunity into something powerful for the future. The 2025 Content Generation Workshop marked the debut of Content Generation Microcredentials, a program designed to certify student achievement in key areas like content creation, digital storytelling, and digital citizenship.
Microcredentials give students a tangible way to show what they’ve learned, while also helping educators create a bridge between classroom lessons and real-world communication skills. By earning microcredentials, students can demonstrate their ability to create thoughtful, ethical, and brand-aligned content that builds community, a skillset that is increasingly valuable for schools and future employers alike.
Students were also encouraged to apply for Class Intercom’s Quill & Scroll Chapter, another way for them to connect and receive both recognition and extracurricular opportunities to polish their developing skillsets in content creation and storytelling.
Hastings College student Caden Block is interviewed by Class Intercom’s Maggie Mantini. Once a CGW attendee himself, Caden has turned content creation into a career with his company Caden Block Media.
A Community of Creators
One of the most rewarding parts of the day was seeing students collaborate in real time. Teachers stepped back to let their student teams lead discussions, plan content, and make creative decisions. The results were impressive. Posts reflected genuine student voice that captured school pride, humor, and the shared experiences that make each community unique.
The 5th Annual Content Generation Workshop marked an important milestone of growth for Class Intercom and schools that believe in the power of student-led storytelling. In five years, the event has grown from a small gathering into a national collaboration focused on creativity, communication, and digital citizenship.
Every photo, caption, and video demonstrated the impact of student-led storytelling and the value of giving students meaningful ownership of their school’s message. That impact doesn’t end when the workshop does. Through Class Intercom’s platform, students continue creating and publishing content for their schools in safe, collaborative, and purposeful ways.
At Class Intercom, we’re proud to continue creating spaces where students and educators learn together, share their experiences, and strengthen the ways schools tell their stories. The growth of this community reflects a shared commitment to empowering students to use their voices with purpose—both online and within their school communities. Get in touch at the link below for help getting started with student-led storytelling at your school.
