Secaucus, N.J. — Panasonic announced the winners in its annual New Vision Awards, held here, yesterday.
Eight groups of students involved in Panasonic’s Kid Witness News program were recognized during the ceremony for their work in video creation and production. The students hailed from New Jersey, Washington D.C., Illinois, Hawaii, California, Oregon, and Washington and were transported to the New York area for a weekend of activities, culminating in the awards ceremony.
The Kid Witness News (KWN) program was developed and is supported by Panasonic in conjunction with the public school system in more than 200 participating schools in poor rural or urban areas.
Under teacher supervision, students in the fifth through eighth grades research, write, act in, produce, direct and edit a variety of videos that reflect their everyday experiences, covering current events, news reports and interviews with prominent individuals.
Each year, students from across the country create and submit videos for review in the annual “New Vision” awards video contest. The videos are judged by a panel of professional filmmakers and students from the Columbia University Film School.
This year’s winners include:
International winner: Marcus Garvey School, Chicago, IL
Local Hero: Alice V. Hedden Elementary, Edgewood, WA
Documentary and Videography: Maui High School, Maui, HI
Sound and Special Effects: Val Verde High School, Perris, CA
News reporting, editing and production design: Gordon Parks Academy, East Orange, NJ
Fiction Comedy and Writing: West Sylvan Middle School, Portland, OR
Public Service Announcement: Warren County Vocational-Tech High School, Washington, NJ
Health, Science and Technology: Neval Thomas Elementary School, Washington, D.C.
