Novice film-makers scoop prizes
Two Mana College students with no background in film- making won first and second prize as part of a video competition raising awareness about rheumatic fever.
Year 13 students Krystal Bishop and Taamara Solomon created the two winning entries together.
Taamara said they only had basic knowledge of how to use a camera but thought it would be fun to do.
‘‘We’ve been friends for years. It’s just a thing we decided to do together,’’ she said.
The young women have been asked to be on next years’ judging panel.
Colleges in Porirua, Hutt Valley and Wellington with high Pacific student numbers were invited to take part in the technology challenge to raise awareness of rheumatic fever amongst teenagers. The challenge was to develop messages that would not only appeal to their peers, but for them also to act on the message.
The film also needed to have the ability to go viral through social media avenues.
Taeaomanino Trust community engagement facilitator Garry Szeto said Pacific people were 37 times more likely to get rheumatic fever, and Maori 20 times more likely than other population groups.
Children and youth aged 4 to 19 were the most vulnerable, he said.
‘‘This was the basis for a tech- nology based challenge, to raise awareness amongst teenagers,’’ Szeto said.
As the winning school, Mana College received $5000 to spend on technology equipment and the two students received new smartphones.
Principal Mike Webster said he was very pleased with the effort the students had made with the support and motivation of their teacher, Sarb Kaur. He said the prize money would be spent on purchasing devices to help technology assisted learning.