MEDIA RELEASE

Thirty-two video winners were announced Friday at the Youth Xchange Awards banquet, the conclusion of the Ninth Annual Olelo Youth Xchange Video Competition, presented by Sony.

The division-winning videos were selected from 619 entries from public and private schools all across Oahu, the Big Island, Kauai and Maui.

For the second year in a row, Moanalua High School was named the winner of the Expert category.

Nearly 600 educators, student-producers, guests and Governor Neil Abercrombie celebrated at the event at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina Resort & Marina highlighting the 90 finalist videos. Many traveled from the Neighbor Islands to attend and be honored.

High-definition Sony video cameras were awarded to the winning schools in each of the 32 divisional categories. A number of schools – including Webling and Kainalu Elementary Schools, Roosevelt, Waianae Intermediate, Washington Middle and Chiefess Kamakahelei – won in more than one category.

Awards were determined based on subject impact and technical production. Panels of local news media and filmmaking professionals, as well as subject experts, selected the 2012 Youth Xchange winners from a record 619 entries statewide. In 2011, 585 entries were received.

All winning entries are available for online viewing through OleloNet On Demand by visiting www.olelo.org/yxc

Established in 2003, Youth Xchange is Hawaii’s largest and first issues-oriented statewide student video competition. It was developed to help give island keiki a voice to tell stories in a variety of video formats and in subjects that are meaningful to them.

In 2012, Youth Xchange videos are competing in six broad categories and eight sponsored categories. Broad categories include animation, mini-documentary, news, public service announcement and short, Expert and Junior Expert. (Junior Expert was not awarded this year.)

Sponsored subjects include Be a Jerk, Healthy Homes & Communities, Peacemaker, Rapid Transit, Start Living Healthy, Traffic Safety, Pae Aina, and Rail Transit.

There are three age divisions: elementary, intermediate and high school. Previous winners and students with professional experience compete in the Junior Expert and Expert categories.

In addition to presenting sponsor Sony, the ninth annual Olelo Youth Xchange Student Video Competition also receives significant support from event sponsors First Hawaiian Bank, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Ko Olina Resort & Marina. Additional support is provided by category sponsors Chaminade University, the City & County of Honolulu, GEICO, HART (Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation), Hawaii State Departments of Education and Health, the Rotary Club of Honolulu and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Established in 1989, Olelo Community Media is a private, nonprofit provider of community access television services and resources on Oahu. It is committed to building, convening and strengthening communities and providing a voice for people to share their stories and ideas about issues of importance to foster community engagement and well-being.

2012 Olelo Youth Xchange Video Competition Winners

ANIMATION

Elementary
“Be a Jerk!”– Ahuimanu Elementary School

Middle School
“Angry Words” – Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

High School
“Internet Safety” – Maui High School

BE A JERK

Elementary
“Alcohol Resistance” – Moanalua Elementary School

Middle School
“Don’t Lead Your Child Down the Wrong Path” – Washington Middle School

High School
“Break the Chain” – Kalaheo High School

HEALTHY HOMES & COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTS

Elementary
“Food Contamination and How to Prevent It” – Maunawili Elementary School

MINI DOCUMENTARY

Middle School
“In Control” – Waianae Intermediate School

High School
“More Than Just Sad” – Moanalua High School

MOBILITY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS – H.A.R.T.

High School
“Honolulu Rail Transit Project” – Roosevelt High School

NEWS

Elementary
“Saving a Friend” – Kainalu Elementary School

Middle School
“Beyond the Wheelchair” – Waianae Intermediate School

High School
“Internet: Good or Bad?” – Kamehameha – Maui Campus

PAE AINA – SUSTAINABILITY

Elementary
“Malama I Ke Kai” – Kipapa Elementary School

Middle School
“Maui Rock” – Ka Waihona o ka Naauao Public Charter School

High School
“Why Save Hawaii?” – Roosevelt High School

PEACEMAKER

Elementary
“Invisible World” – Waipahu Elementary School

Middle School
“End Racism” – Waianae Intermediate School

High School
“A Single Step” – Punahou School

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Elementary
“Respect” – Kainalu Elementary School

Middle School
“Don’t Smoke” – Waianae Intermediate School

High School
“I Wanna Be Like You” – Moanalua High School

SHORT

Elementary
“The Lollipop” – Kainalu Elementary School

Middle School
“K.O. Soda, Drink Water” – Hualalai Academy

High School
“Ikaika Meets Kalo” – Kahuku High & Intermediate School

START LIVING HEALTHY

Elementary
“Filet-O-Fat” – Webling Elementary School

Middle School
“Curse of the Crinkling” – Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

High School
“Intervention” – James Campbell High School

TRAFFIC SAFETY

Elementary
“Walking to School Safely” – Webling Elementary School

Middle School
“Don’t Text Into Death” – Washington Middle School

High School
“Think About It” – Mililani High School

EXPERT

“The Perfect Season” – Moanalua High School

2012 Olelo Youth Xchange Video Competition Participating Schools

Oahu

Ahuimanu Elementary
Aiea High
Aikahi Elementary
Aliamanu Elementary
Aliamanu Middle
Alvah Scott Elementary
August Ahrens Elementary
Campbell High
Farrington High
Fern Elementary
Iliahi Elementary
Island Pacific Academy (High)
Ka Waihona o ka Naauao PCS
Kahuku High & Intermediate
Kainalu Elementary
Kaiser High
Kalihi Waena Elementary
King Intermediate
Kipapa Elementary
Leilehua High
Lunalilo Elementary
Maili Elementary
Makaha Elementary
Maunawili Elementary
Mid-Pacific Institute (Elementary)
Mid-Pacific Institute (Middle)
Mililani High
Mililani Middle
Moanalua Elementary
Moanalua High
Moanalua Middle
Niu Valley Middle
Pauoa Elementary
Punahou School (Elementary)
Punahou School (High)
Sunset Beach Elementary
Waialua High & Intermediate
Waianae Elementary
Waianae High
Waianae Intermediate
Waimanalo Elementary & Intermediate
Waipahu Elementary
Waipahu High
Waipahu Intermediate
Washington Middle
Webling Elementary

Big Island

Hilo High
Hualalai Academy (Middle)
Kahakai Elementary
Waiakea High

Kauai

Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle
Hanalei Elementary
Kapaa High
Kauai High

Maui

Baldwin High
Kamehameha Schools (High)
Lahaina Intermediate
Lokelani Intermediate
Montessori School of Maui
Maui Waena Intermediate
Maui High