Mental Health is on the minds of students and educators alike during these trying times. This year, the Directing Change organization hosted a year-long competition, where California students were able to share strategies and coping skills, educate themselves and others on suicide prevention and express themselves through film, art, and poetry. The Video Production program at CTEC was very involved in the public service announcement (PSA) competitions, earning two Honorable Mentions and a 1st place win in at the state level, for various videos they created for the film contest.
The 1st place team, consisting of AM students Sophia Barron and Paulene Dela Cruz, received certificates, a beautiful trophy, a check for $500.00 and a Dunkin Donut/Jamba Juice celebration for their fellow classmates. Their PSA, titled ” Best Year Yet to Come”, centered on an upbeat look at getting back to normal, through vaccines, to fight the Covid – 19 pandemic. Paulene and Sophia said they were honored and humbled by the award, and they just wanted to get their message across. “I was afraid we were going to go back on lockdown, so I felt encouraging people to get vaccinated was the safest way to get things back to normal,” shared Dela Cruz.
She was also interviewed on the Directing Change Awards ceremony, a Facebook Live event, on May 17th. Mustansir Noordeen and Nathalie Tovar received an Honorable Mention award for their PSA titled “In Our Eyes”, and Jasmine Roberts also earned an Honorable Mention certificate, for her PSA about the importance of recognizing and supporting the emotional needs of students. Their award-winning work is featured on the Directing Change website at directingchangeca.org, and can also be seen here:
Best Year Yet to Come: https://youtu.be/aFcarc2Hg9Q
In Our Eyes: https://youtu.be/3pKoQhROaMg
Supporting Students: https://youtu.be/sZrW7VTPzz0