Young videographers see Hawaii, world through a sharper lens
by Michael Choe | May 14, 2019
The camera zooms in on the two students. One represents renewable, clean energy. The other, fossil fuel. They take off, and the clean energy kid keeps going like the Energizer Bunny. The other, well, you’ll just have to watch for yourself. What I’m describing is a winning entry from Olelo Community Media’s Youth Xchange 2019 Student Video Competition.
Every year, Olelo receives hundreds of videos like the one above through Youth Xchange. The event invites students from elementary, middle, and high schools to submit videos that focus on topics such as traffic safety, creating peace, the value of water, and a clean energy future. These videos are projects developed entirely by the students as they skillfully work behind and in front of the camera. This year, I had the privilege of viewing and helping to judge videos in the “Hawaii’s Clean Energy Future” category sponsored by Hawaiian Electric. I spent an entire morning watching the finalists’ videos, and they were so enjoyable that time could not have gone by any quicker.
The videos that students submitted were impressive — not just the quality of the work, but their creativity. No two videos were alike and there were skits, songs and animations incorporated to make the entries both entertaining and educational. Students artistically demonstrated their knowledge of the topics and clearly addressed ongoing problems within our communities. They also showcased their problem-solving skills by offering legitimate solutions.
Finalists attended the 16th annual Youth Xchange 2019 Student Video Competition and Awards Banquet at the Hawaii Convention Center on April 24, 2019. This year, Olelo received a record-breaking 1,062 entries from schools statewide. The award ceremony was supported by sponsors including Hawaiian Electric, Sony, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser and First Hawaiian Bank.
In addition to winning awards, students went home with a brand-new Sony HD camcorder to hone their film-making. For the “Hawaii’s Clean Energy Future” category, the 2019 winners were: “Clean Energy Future” — Kainalu Elementary School; “Solar Man v. Pollution Man” — Aliamanu Middle School; and “Energy Race” — William McKinley High School.
Students were excited to compete in the statewide competition and knew that being a Youth Xchange finalist was a big accomplishment. They came dressed in business casual attire, representing themselves and their schools professionally, and when they approached the stage to receive their awards, their faces glowed with pride and a sense of accomplishment.
Also, you could see the strong bonds between students and teachers as they cheered for and congratulated each other with each win. The students’ gratitude reminded me that it wasn’t only students who poured time and effort into these videos, but also their instructors who moderated and guided the production process.
Most of all, it was great to see students take the opportunity to learn about community issues and offer fresh perspectives through engaging videos. Thank you to these innovative students for tackling these tough issues and to Olelo for hosting a wonderful competition that motivates these young citizens to better our communities!
Michael Choe is a digital communications and social media specialist at Hawaiian Electric Company.
