Question: Does anyone know of upcoming media contests?

[Michelle L. Torrise]

Greetings Media & Tech Friends,

I will be working with freshman health students this spring on a public service announcement project.  Each student, or group of students, will create a 30 second PSA on a topic of their choice.  Usually we show the final PSAs in class via Vimeo, but this year I'm looking for a wider, more authentic, audience.   I was wondering if you anyone is aware of an upcoming media contest or other authentic venue that we could tap into.   -- Michelle Torrise, Media Specialist, Westmont High Schol

[Kelly Farrow]

I don't think this is what you had in mind in regard to PSAs (and the due date is coming up pretty quickly), but perhaps next year you could modify the project to fit into a gaming model:  http://stemchallenge.org/

Possibly worth exploring as well: http://www.artandwriting.org/  (Not sure if your kids missed the deadline for this year, though)

[Ryan Goble]

http://www.worldof7billion.org/student_video_contest

http://www.dhs.gov/files/events/gc_1288978880238.shtm

http://www.psaid.org

So it also looks like a lot of local communities just tag the PSA on to the local gov. so perhaps you could get the county to sponsor a contest and your students could organize it like this from the AFF below..

Austin Film Festival and the Travis County Sheriff’s Office present the Annual Awareness PSA contest highlighting Teen Social Challenges.

Teens around Travis County are encouraged to submit a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) to raise awareness of growing teen problems, bullying, suicide, gangs, teen dating violence, underage drinking and drug use. The winning films will be played on local TV and screened at the Austin Film Festival Student Film Expo. Winning filmmakers will also receive a prize package from contest sponsors, including passes to the Annual Austin Film Festival.

Submission deadline: March 30, 2012

CLICK HERE to download the submission form.

Mail submissions to:

Austin Film Festival
PSA Competition
1801 Salina Street
Austin, TX 78702

You must be a current Travis County high school or middle school student in the 2011-2012 school year to be eligible.

[Jennifer Sacks]

Not sure if this is helpful, but my 8th graders did a project this year called "commercials for a cause."  Not exactly PSA's but the idea was that we chose multiple philanthropies that were supported by the school year-round (Trick or Treat for Unicef, Daffodil Days for cancer research, etc.) and created unique commercials encouraging kids to support the varying causes.  Finding the audience within our own school really motivated the kids.

[Ryan Goble]

This Tweet came through in response to the CS? today ...

 

SrtaG Anne @_mindblue_ try mediathatmattersfest.org A middle school PSA would be a great addition to their collections!

That is a great idea I hadn't though of despite blogging quite a bit about MTM festivals - see this link. That is a great idea plus a lot of the MTM people (I think) are here at MC POP - here is the "submissions" page and you can show model shorts / PSAs from their excellent collection.