Students invited to tell their story in Catholic School video contest

By Reed Clements

The Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association is holding their third contest, calling for students to submit videos about how Catholic education has shaped their lives for the better.

The God’s Riches Alive in Catholic Education, or “G.R.A.C.E.”, contest is for students between the ages of 12 and 19 from Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon who are enrolled in publicly-funded Catholic schools.

The rules of the contest ask that students, working either individually or in groups, upload a video of themselves to YouTube, in which they explain the positive impact that Catholic education has had on their journey through life, their faith, and their education.

Videos are required to be no longer than two minutes, and can be recorded on anything from smartphones to digital cameras. They must not contain inappropriate or potentially offensive material, such as profanity. Dangerous stunts are also forbidden.

The Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association will review the submissions and hold a vote, by a committee of trustees and staff, to determine the contest winners. The prize for first place is $500. Two runners up will get $300 and $200, respectively.

To enter, students must use YouTube’s share function to submit their video to the Trustees’ Association, and must fill out forms, available online at www.acsta.ab.ca, to make their submission official.

The overall goal of the contest is to hear from students about why Catholic schools matter. There is a specific emphasis on personal experience, rather than larger systemic policy issues.

The public funding of Catholic schools is a somewhat controversial matter in Canada, where the majority of provinces, including nearby British Columbia, do not allow it.

The deadline for entry is Friday, April 21.