The RFK Institute for Human Rights has announced the winners of its “Speak Truth to Power” video contest and, once again, New York public school students have fared well.
The contest is sponsored by NYSUT and its national affiliate, the AFT, along with the TriBeCa Film Institute. NYSUT members Joe Karb and Ben Higgins coordinate the STTP middle school, high school student social justice video contest as well as a 60-second K-5 public service announcement video contest called “Everyone Has Rights.”
The K-5 contest is exclusive to NYSUT members and their students and featured 13 winners out of more than 120 entries from across the state. In this contest, the educators of the winning entrants received a $100 gift card for classroom materials and $50 to host a class party. For 2017, these 13 “Everyone Has Rights” winners are:
Catherine Altobello, East Street School, Hicksville; Sara McGraw, Giffen Memorial Elementary School, Albany; Sydney Lipez, Fox Meadow Elementary School, Scarsdale; Lydia Butler, Burns Avenue Elementary School, Hicksville; Marisol Rampersad, Gardiner Manor School, Bay Shore; Amy O'Leary, Francis F. Wilson School, Rockville Centre; Jennifer Coady, Dutch Lane School, Hicksville; Jadwiga Slupek, Old Country Road Elementary School, Hicksville; Anne Johnson, Woodland Elementary School, Hicksville; Gilynn Cromartie, Lawrence Elementary School, Lawrence; Christine Janda, Fork Lane School, Hicksville; Debra Kohn, Daniel Webster Elementary School, New Rochelle; and Veronica Sylvia, Lee Avenue School; Hicksville.
In the STTP video contest for grades 6-12, 10 active educators from across the nation reviewed dozens of social justice video entries from public schools across America. The secondary school contest is a part of the RFK Institute's national initiative. Students from seven New York public schools received awards and honorable mentions in the national contest, including:
GRAND PRIZE WINNER: “LGBTQ Rights: A Documentary”— Skaneateles High School, Skaneateles, NY
FIRST-PLACE WINNERS: “The Defender” — MS422, Brooklyn (middle school); “LGBTQ Rights: A Documentary” — Skaneateles High School, Skaneateles, NY (High School)
SECOND-PLACE WINNERS: “An Inspiration To An Entire Generation” — New Hyde Park JR-SR High School — New Hyde Park; “Harry Chapin and the Fight Against World Hunger” — Hauppauge High School, Hauppauge
THIRD-PLACE WINNERS: “Unforgotten Soles” — New Hyde Park JR-SR High School — New Hyde Park; “Frank Mugisha: I am Friend” — Skaneateles High School, Skaneateles
New York students also received several other honors in the contest, including Platinum Honorable Mentions (5); Gold Honorable Mentions (11); Silver Honorable Mentions (11); Bronze Honorable Mentions (7)
For the 2017-2018 school year, we are encouraging NYSUT educators and social justice activists to participate with their K-12 students. The deadline for the 6-12 student social justice video entries is March 17 and the deadline for the K-5 contest is April 1.
More information can be found at:
Speak Truth To Power, for grades 6-12
www.speaktruthvideo.com
Everyone Has Rights, for grades K-5
www.everyonehasrights.com