Extreme Makeover: Social Citizens edition

Who doesn't love a good makeover story? Whether it's Stacy and Clinton telling you "What Not to Wear" or Ty Pennington making us tear up every single time they "move that bus" on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," it's always fun and compelling to see what kinds of transformations are possible with a few carefully chosen tools and some expert advice.  When the Case Foundation realized that many people have the motivation and desire to be Social Citizens but just needed a little help, we got into the makeover business as well.

 

We invited Social Citizens readers to make their case in 250 characters why they need and deserved a Social Citizens Makeover - complete with a Flip video camera, a $100 Apple gift certificate, WordPress Premium Features, a Flickr ProAccount and a little wisdom, courtesy of a social media expert. We received lots of great responses from Social Citizens - young and old - who were eager to promote their cause and spread social good.

 

It was difficult to choose just five winners, but we are thrilled about our finalists and the diverse set of causes they champion. Matt Chesney and his 11-year-old brother want to help homeless youth, while Emily Waugh is passionate about promoting the well being of animals in Oklahoma City. Chuck Warpehoski and the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice want to encourage and empower people of faith to join them in their work for social justice. Rabbi Erica Rosenkranz has dedicated her life to investing in youth and teaching them about the importance of giving and volunteering, and Lauren Schwartz is trying to strengthen civic engagement on a college campus as an AmeriCorps VISTA. Even though they come from different parts of the country and are active on a variety of issues, all of our finalists are chomping at the bit to improve their social media skills for good, connect with more people who share their cause, share information to mobilze others, and become true Social Citizens. Check out their "before" profiles on the Social Citizens site to learn more about each winner.

 

After our winners have had a few months to get acquainted with their new tools and have spent some one-on-one time with with Peter Deitz and the social media experts he has assembled at Social Actions, we'll track them down and show share their "after" stories of transformation.