Come link and learn about Population Media Center's (PMC) innovations – balancing the art and science of storytelling for social impact. 

Ready, Set, Play. BREAKAWAY is an innovative video game and mobile phone application designed to address violence against women, bullying, and gender equality. Users play as their own football (U.S. soccer) player avatar. The challenge? Decisions players make off the field, ultimately determine their performance in football games. 

The game, along with supplemental curriculum and in-person camp experiences, has successfully reached youth around the world since 2010, resulting in: 

• 90% of youth in a BREAKAWAY Camp correctly identified recommended techniques for confronting bullying, sexism, and violent situations

• 4.9 Players in a BREAKAWAY Camp rated the overall experience a 4.9 out of 5

• 87.7% of a BREAKAWAY Camp's participants "completely agreed" girls should have equal rights to play.

This session will also share riveting results from the television show Vencer el Miedo. Every night 3.5 million viewers in Mexico switched their televisions to Televisa's channel two to watch Vencer el Miedo ("Overcome the Fear"). The 47-episode, award-winning show followed four different women as they navigated life, love, and tough choices. Grabbing the highest viewership numbers of any show in its timeslot, Vencer el Miedo and its accompanying social impact campaign got viewers off the couch and into action – making choices to improve the health and well-being of themselves and those around them. We made a difference: 

• 2,868 callers every week to MEXFAM's reproductive health hotline (Mexico's Planned Parenthood affiliate) reported finding the hotline because of Vencer el Miedo.

• Adult viewers were 1.5 times more likely than non-viewers to discuss condoms and other contraceptive methods with their adolescent children during the run of the show.

• Young adult viewers were 1.8 times more likely than non-viewers to have used dual contraception to prevent unintended pregnancies and STDs.

In addition to the social impact of Vencer el Miedo, the show's commercial success is undeniable. Vencer el Miedo was among the top three most-watched programs for viewers 13 to 21 years old and was broadcast in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and on Univision in the United States. At the 38th Annual TVyNovelas, Vencer el Miedo won four awards, including best first actor and best co-starring actress.