Are you an aspiring filmmaker? Maybe you are just a budding academic who can appreciate cool things. In any case, the Whitehouse is hosting the first ever student film festival for K-12 students. Finalists could have their three-minute long videos screened at the Whitehouse and posted on the Whitehouse’s website. It’s a great opportunity for young people to make something that they can be proud of.
What is great about this film festival is that the topic deals with how young people learn science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). According to Whitehouse.gov:
“Your film should address at least one of the following themes:
- How you currently use technology in your classroom or school.
- The role technology will play in education in the future.”
These important questions are great ways to get young people thinking about their education and how STEM programs will affect them in the future. It is obvious that the Obama Administration and the First Lady have a deep concern for America’s children. Their work on childhood obesity was an early indicator of that. But now they have pivoted to the vital aspects of childhood education that can really change the trajectory for American innovation.
America continues to lag behind other developed countries in STEM education and competitiveness. Not only that, at our current education standards, students are not prepared for college or the jobs of tomorrow – which are increasingly technical and science driven. This effort from President Obama and his administration shows that our leaders are taking notice of these dangerous statistics. And, what better way to engage young people on these issues than a contest which requires them to be technologically savvy?
Check out the official video detailing the rules and submission guidelines for the contest.
We can’t wait to see the winners. Hopefully a large number of students and parents begin to take STEM learning more seriously because of this inaugural effort.
