Students from Greater Essex win national Focus on Safety Youth Video Contest

Ms. Simon introduced the video contest to Hon W.C. Kennedy Collegiate Institute’s Media Arts students. A few students were interested, so they got together after school to meet as a group. Students, with guidance from Ms. Simon, generated and discussed some ideas for the video, and they took off with them and added their own style. They set up camera angles, found actors, conversed on what the scenes would be, and filmed it with many camcorders at the same time.

Another student edited all the footage together making the video what it is. They previewed the video, edited it together during class and debated on what worked and what did not. The project went through one final edit and then the final video was submitted into the contest.

They were very excited and proud to hear that they won first place provincially and then moved on to the nationals. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) organized the judging at nationals and, for the first time ever, there was a three-way tie for first place! They tied with entries from Manitoba and the North West Territories. The students will be sharing a $2000 prize and the school receives $2000 as well.

Megan Simon is the District 9 member in Greater Essex.