Timberline Secondary School is the lucky winner of a brand new camera.
Timberline was one of six schools from across the province to win a Sony digital media device thanks to its early registration in Science World’s BC Green Games.
Timberline was chosen through random selection as the recipient of a digital camera, which the school’s media teacher Shannon Hagen says will help students in their submission video for the Green Games in February 2012.
“Any time a piece of hardware is put in the students’ hands, it’s amazing what they can create,” Hagen says. “It’s great. With declining budgets, anything I can get my hands on in terms of free equipment for the students makes a big difference in our program. The way education is going today, with all the cutbacks, any kind of community support is very much appreciated – that’s huge. Otherwise there’s no way we could run our programs anymore.”
Timberline was selected from a pool of more than 100 teams that have already registered for the Green Games.
Hagen says the camera, which can take digital stills as well as video, is a big help to the school.
“It’s nice, small and compact so the students can take it with them wherever they go,” Hagen says.
Other winners included schools in Chilliwack, Burnaby, Richmond, Saanich, and Kamloops.
BC Green Games is a province-wide competition for students in Kindergarten to Grade 12, designed to motivate and reward students for their contributions to the environment.
Timberline will be submitting a production called Carbon Pawprint, a nod to Timberline’s team name, the Wolves. The video, which features a song filmed by the media class highlighting all the things the school is doing to reduce its carbon footprint, will be one of two submissions from the school.
Hagen says the school’s Green Team, which has started a compost program, encourages students to fill up water bottles from the school’s drinking fountains, and tends to the edible garden, is working on a second video.
“The Green Team helps implements these things and the whole school follows them,” Hagen says. “They look for needs. If they weren’t here, these things wouldn’t get done. The whole school practises what they put in place.”
Timberline is just one of hundreds of schools from across B.C. that will compete in the Green Games.
In March, the public can view all the entrants’ videos and vote for their favourite. As well, submissions will be judged by environmental and science education experts and scientists. A total of $24,000 is up for grabs, to be shared among the winners.
Last year, Willow Point elementary school was one of 10 elementary school winners, out of 139 entries.
The school was chosen by a panel of environmental experts and won not only the top $1,000 prize but also a $500 elementary viewer’s choice award.
Willow Point’s video featured all the environmental practises of Clea Adair’s Grade 1/2 split class, including composting and raising their own chickens.
Videos from past BC Green Games, including Willow Point’s, can be viewed online at www.bcgreengames.ca