Water, whether from rain or hose, carries pollutants to our rivers and streams through storm drains, ditches and more direct means.
The Regional Coalition for Clean Rivers and Streams’ “The River Starts Here” is holding a contest and soliciting 25- and 55-second videos focused on water pollution created by Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington County students in grades 9-12 as of September 2021. All public, private, charter and home school students are eligible to apply.
The Coalition, a partnership of public agencies in the Portland-Vancouver metro area, is dedicated to educating the public about the impact of stormwater runoff pollution on the health of our rivers and streams.
Interested students are encouraged to imagine their video as a way to teach others about the actions they can take to protect water and use their creativity to grab viewers’ attention, keep them watching to the end and leave them with an “aha” moment.
Action, comedy and/or emotion can be used to get the point of the video across. And don’t forget to give it a cool movie name!
A total of five, $500 first prizes will be awarded in two theme content areas: Our Drinking Water/Don’t Dump That! and Everyday Actions Add Up.
One of the five awards will recognize a BIPOC videographer and another will be awarded to the People’s Choice winner. Criteria to determine the winner will be the video that receives the most community views, likes and comments on #theRiverStartsHere YouTube channel May 20-26.
The deadline to apply is Sunday, April 24. Two entries are accepted per student, with a separate application form needed for each entry.
For more information, tips and link to the application, visit theriverstartshere.org/video-contest/.
