Maui schools take home media competition awards

Maui Waena Intermediate and Pomaika‘i Elementary students took home multiple awards from the Student Television Network’s annual convention March 16-19 in Long Beach, Calif.

Maui Waena took home 12 awards after participating in 11 on-site competitions and one pre-contest competition and placing in all but one category. Their weekly show, “Falcon Features,” was awarded an outstanding rank, coming in second among all entries.

They also earned five first-place awards in the Music Video, Anchor Team, Short Film, Public Service Announcement and Movie Trailer categories; two second-place awards in the Crazy 8’s Short Film and Crazy 8’s Morning Show categories; two thirdplace awards in the Crazy 8’s Vertical Short Film and NAT Package categories; and two honorable mentions in the Commercial and Feature Story categories. There were 32 Maui Waena students among the 206 students from 15 Hawaii public schools that participated, according to a news release Wednesday from the state Department of Education.

Pomaika‘i Elementary students also participated in the competition and placed second in the Commercial category, third place in the PSA category and received honorable mention in the Crazy 8’s Short Film category. “This is such an amazing opportunity and experience for our students and I’m so proud of how hard they work,” Maui Waena Principal Jacquelyn McCandless said. “These students work at industry standards and develop incredible skills that help them become self-directed, critical thinkers who display personal excellence and aloha.”

Maui Waena STEMworks Adviser Jennifer Suzuki said the students also had learning opportunities beyond competing.

“It was a wonderful experience for the students as they were not only successful in the competition, but were able to visit Chapman University, attend a talk by Nobel Peace Prize winner, Nadia Murad, and network with over 2,500 students from all over the country,” Suzuki said.

DOE schools brought home a total of 46 awards.

“It’s always exciting to see our students participating in this rigorous national competition,” said DOE Superintendent Keith Hayashi. “It’s an authentic learning experience that allows them to explore their creative passions, hone in on their digital media skills, and compete with other students across the country. The record number of awards for Hawaii public schools this year shows how our students and staff continue to excel even on a national stage.”