Global Warming

U.S. Department of State Announces Winners of Global Online Video Contest: 'Change Your Climate, Change Our World'

  2010 MAR 22 - (VerticalNews.com) -- The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is pleased to announce the four winners of its online video contest, "Change Your Climate, Change Our World." Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton launched the contest on November 17, 2009 with a video message on ECA's ExchangesConnect social networking site, inviting people around the world, ages 14 and older, to submit their original 2-minute videos.

  To encourage cross-cultural community building and mutual understanding, the contest defined "climate" in the broadest sense to encompass the people, places, and relationships that affect our daily lives. Contestants were challenged to relate their own actions or actions of others to make a positive difference in a local community and thus contribute to a better world. The contest attracted nearly 9,000 new members to the ExchangesConnect online community; membership grew to over 23,250, from 14,330 prior to the contest.

  ExchangesConnect community members representing 50 countries submitted 168 eligible videos. That community voted on the video entries and an expert panel of judges ranked the "top 40" videos, based on Originality, Creativity, Effectiveness, and Production Quality.

  ECA selected two international and two American winners (one in each of the two age categories: 14-17; 18 and older) to receive one each of four Grand Prizes: an all-expense-paid two-week exchange program. International winners will travel to the United States and American winners will travel abroad. The School of Cinema and Performing Arts (SOCAPA), one of the premier visual and performing arts programs for young people, has generously supported the contest by providing a two-week summer camp experience for the young international winner. Flip Video™ provided Flip Video™ Camcorders as additional prizes during the contest to spur community engagement.

  Keywords: Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Camcorders, Climate Change, Education, Global Warming, Government Agencies, Leisure, Travel, Travel To the United States, U.S. Department of State.

  This article was prepared by VerticalNews Global Warming editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2010, VerticalNews Global Warming via VerticalNews.com.