St. Johns Riverkeeper has launched a video contest for middle- and high-school students in Duval County. The River Reels: Trash Talk Video Contest, presented by Community First Credit Union, challenges students to create a short (60 seconds or less) video that raises awareness about the impacts of trash and the importance of reducing waste, disposing of it properly and protecting the St. Johns River and local waterways.
“The St. Johns River is so important to Jacksonville and who we are as a city,” said St. Johns Riverkeeper’s education director, Jamie De Nisco. “We’re inviting students to get creative and think about solutions to a tangible problem in their community.”
Any student in grades six through 12 who attends a school, or is homeschooled, in Duval County is eligible to enter the contest. Submissions are due by midnight Sept. 30. The winner of each category (middle and high school) will receive a $500 prize, thanks to the contest sponsor, Community First Credit Union.
The contest was created in partnership with the City of Jacksonville, which recently launched its Keep Jax Cute, Don’t Pollute campaign and corresponding Jax Litter League cleanup contest.
“We’re excited to work with St. Johns Riverkeeper on this initiative,” said Melissa Ross, the City of Jacksonville’s director of strategic initiatives. “They have long been a community leader in cleaning up our green spaces and waterways, as well as educating the public. This contest is a creative way to get the city’s young people involved with the campaign. Today’s teens are making videos all the time; why not make one that will have a positive impact?”
St. Johns Riverkeeper is known in part locally for hosting regular community cleanups around the St. Johns River and its tributaries. Their education team also goes to K-12 classrooms in Jacksonville and beyond to teach students about the river, and hosts popular field trips and boat excursions that allow students to learn about the St. Johns while they experience it firsthand.
To learn more about the contest, go to stjohnsriverkeeper.org/education/river-reels-video-contest.
