Catholic Mission is set to launch #ShoeStories at the Australian Catholic Youth Festival from Thursday, and to celebrate, the organisation is giving participants the chance to win a $1000 travel voucher.
Ahead of next year’s International Year of Youth, Catholic Mission is launching a new social media platform to engage young people in the work of global mission. #ShoeStories will debut at the ACYF with a Selfie Challenge.
‘At World Youth Day in Poland last year, Pope Francis called all young people into action, to be protagonists of history and to leave their mark in the world,’ says Roza Vukovich, who is coordinating Catholic Mission’s presence at the festival.
‘He said that this requires courage and “a readiness to trade the sofa for a pair of walking shoes and to set out on new and uncharted paths”. We are inviting all young people to answer this call by taking part in the #ShoeStories Selfie Challenge.’
The challenge requires attendees at the ACYF to pick up a map at the Justice Activity Centre, complete five of the challenges, and submit a video selfie at the filming booth of their shoe stories, before dropping a completed form in the big shoe to go in the running for the voucher.
‘By completing the challenge and submitting a video selfie of their #ShoeStories, participants can go in the running for a $1,000 travel voucher and a chance to live out Pope Francis’ call to action in the Year of Youth,’ says Ms Vukovich.
Catholic Mission has been heavily involved in preparations ahead of the festival, where it will hold a space filled with immersive, challenging and engaging activities and experiences.
Ms Vukovich says the unique interactive installations, which will include Catholic Mission’s virtual reality experience, Mission in 360, will offer participants a formative and fun experience.
‘The Catholic Mission space at the ACYF will be full of amazing surprises that will challenge and treat participants,’ she says. ‘The #ShoeStories Selfie Challenge is just one way that young people coming to the festival can involve themselves in the amazing global mission to which we are all called.’
While eager travellers will have to be registered at the festival to win the travel voucher, anyone can share their own #ShoeStories via the social media platform in the coming year.
‘We’re aiming for #ShoeStories to be an online, interactive library of young voices, each with their own unique perspective based on their encounter with mission,’ says Ms Vukovich. ‘We want young people to inspire young people and be their own agents of change.’
To get a feel for what constitutes #ShoeStories, go to www.shoestories.org.au. There you can view others’ #ShoeStories and get inspiration for sharing your own.
You can find the Catholic Mission Hub in the Encounter Dome at the Australian Catholic Youth Festival at Sydney Olympic Park from 7-9 December. For more information on the festival, visit www.youthfestival.catholic.org.au.