2027 Community Storytelling Showcase

We Want to Hear Your Stories!

The Policy Research Center is inviting community members of all ages to share how commercial tobacco has affected them and their local environment. You or your organization can share your story by submitting writing or artwork for display.

Applications are now open, and acceptance notifications will be sent on a rolling basis. Please review the guidelines below before applying.

All work will be shared with the community on the Center’s website and at the Policy Research Center’s first-ever Community Storytelling Showcase during the 4th Annual Research Symposium in San Diego. This free, gallery-style exhibition will be open for Symposium attendees to explore in person, with submissions also available online for virtual attendees.

Download Flyer

How Can I Participate?

We invite you to submit your own work, following the steps below:

Review the information on this page, especially the participation guidelines.
Complete the online application form with your/your organization’s information and explain the work you’d like to submit. If you need technical or financial assistance to complete your work, please email us at tobacco.center@sdsu.edu.
Check your inbox periodically for a notification of acceptance or request for more information from the Center to proceed. If we need more information about your application, a Center team member will be in touch. If your work is accepted, you will receive further instructions on how to submit your work.
Submit your work, or an image of your work, to tobacco.center@sdsu.edu by January 31, 2027. The Center will be in touch to confirm that your submission has been received and how the work will be displayed at the Showcase.
Plan to attend the Showcase at the 4^th Annual Research Symposium in San Diego on May 28, 2027, in person or virtually.

What Kinds of Work Can Be Submitted?

Community members and organizations may use any medium to tell their story, including but not limited to:

Photography

Social Media Posts

Short-Form Video

Letters to the Editor

Visual Art

Essay

Short Story

Interviews

Some Examples…

A local environmental organization submits a short video documenting a tobacco product waste cleanup they hosted.

A college student submits a comic strip tracing a cigarette butt’s journey from production to environmental pollutant.

A community member writes a short story about how tobacco smoke intrusion in their apartment affected their health.

A group of high school students submits posters and social media posts raising awareness about how tobacco product waste has affected local wildlife.

Participation Guidelines

Submitting an application does not guarantee you will be invited to submit your work, but we look forward to seeing your ideas!
Applicants under 18 should check in with a parent, guardian, or youth group leader before applying.
All work should be family-friendly, as participants and attendees of all ages will be present.
To give attendees adequate time to engage with each submission, written and video pieces should stay within a reasonable length. For example, short-form videos should be 3–5 minutes. Essays, articles, and short stories should be a maximum length of 2 pages, single-spaced.
Physical submissions (e.g., visual art, sculpture) should not incorporate cigarette butts or other tobacco product waste, as these materials contain hazardous substances requiring gloves and other PPE to handle safely.

If you have a finished work that you believe may not meet the above submission guidelines, please contact us at tobacco.center@sdsu.edu to discuss.

Submit an Application

Need Assistance?

If you need technical or financial assistance completing your project, or have questions about the Showcase, please email tobacco.center@sdsu.edu to discuss your options.

Attending the 4th Annual Symposium

The 4th Annual Symposium on Tobacco and the Environment is a free event that will be held in San Diego, California, on May 28, 2027. Time and location details are to be announced.

Registration is required for both in-person and virtual attendees. Please check back for registration details as the event approaches.