Envision Kindness, the Connecticut non-profit dedicated to inspiring, encouraging and spreading kindness is excited to announce that students from Shepaug Valley Middle School and Shepaug Valley High School have won The 2nd Annual Envision Kindness Student Film Contest.
Middle School students Eliza Slastushinskaya, Sierra Wilson, Emma VandenBosch, Sage Baker, Mary Carew-Miller, Kayleigh Hendy, Roxanne Edel, Jaxen Griggs, and Lydia Hagen won first place and a prize of $500 for the school for their film Chain Reaction. High School students Tia Phon and Katie Lecher won second place and a prize of $250 for their school for their film Be Kind.
The contest challenged college, high school and middle school students from across the state of Connecticut to conceive and produce original, light-hearted, short films using kindness as the central theme. Winning films can be viewed on the Envision Kindness YouTube Channel http://bit.ly/2kmwvax.
A total of 40 films were received, reflecting the contributions of hundreds of students. These films were viewed over 43,000 times and more than 8,500 votes were cast by the public to select contest finalists. Winners were selected by an esteemed group of award-winning actors, acclaimed filmmakers, producers, directors and journalists including Trey Ellis, Dave Goetsch, Janet Grillo, George Norfleet, Ann Nyberg, and Jennifer Westfeldt, all of who have ties to Connecticut and volunteered their time.
"The mission of Envision Kindness could not be more necessary or relevant at this particularly dark moment in our nation and in our world. The compelling evidence that Envision's programs promote, engender and actually increase kindness and empathy in their young participants is something to celebrate, and get behind," said actress and filmmaker Jennifer Westfeldt. "I was honored to have had the opportunity to support this incredibly worthy cause."
"Congratulations to the contest winners for their inspiring work. Their expressions of what kindness means to them are critical to strengthening empathy and compassion and inspiring acts of kindness, which are so needed in society today," said David Fryburg, M.D., president and co-founder, Envision Kindness.
Research has shown that exposure to positive, kind acts and kindness-centric content makes people more likely to be less stressed, healthier and happier. It can also make people feel more connected, optimistic and give them a more accurate and well-rounded view of the world.
By sharing still and video images of Envision Kindness hopes to stir and inspire the innate kindness that each person is born with. Scientific studies have shown that kindness can have a powerful impact on both mood and overall health, which can foster stronger communities.
"I love that this film competition was focused not only on film but also on how to get a positive message heard. This taught my students that their voices do matter and that when you want to inspire positive change, the internet can be used as a tool to do good," said Breanne Pitt, Digital Media teacher, Regional School District 12.
Eight graders from Shepaug Valley Middle School were equally excited about their win. "It was really exciting when we won because it was really challenging to promote with social media since we had to compete with really big schools, and I am excited, surprised, and proud," said Eliza Slastushinskaya.
Roxanne Edel's response to winning was equally as positive. "Hopefully we can make people more kind," she said.
Twelfth grader Katie Lecher thought "It was fun to use film to promote kindness."
Senior Tia Phon felt "This was one of our stronger PSAs because the message got out to hundreds of people online through Twitter, Facebook, and other social media. We hope it made a strong impact on our school and community."
Here's a full list of winners:
COLLEGE WINNERS
First Place $500 Kindness Video
Three Rivers Community College, Norwich
Student: Catalina Anzola
Professor: Kevin Amenta
Second Place $250 Message of Kindness
University of Bridgeport Shintaro Akatsu School of Design, Bridgeport
Students: Woojoo Shin and Taewan Kim
Professor: Lani Asuncion
Third Place $125 One Act of Kindness
University of Bridgeport Shintaro Akatsu School of Design, Bridgeport
Student: Mellissa Foster
Professor: Lani Asuncion
Best Music $100 One Act of Kindness
University of Bridgeport Shintaro Akatsu School of Design, Bridgeport
Student: Mellissa Foster
Professor: Lani Asuncion
Best Cinematography $100 Message of Kindness
University of Bridgeport Shintaro Akatsu School of Design, Bridgeport
Professor: Lani Asuncion
HIGH SCHOOL WINNERS
First Place $500 Color Your World with Kindness
Rectory School, Pomfret
Student: Jeffrey Wang
Teacher: Ryan Finnegan
Second Place $250 Be Kind
Shepaug Valley High School, Washington
Students: Tia Phon and Katie Lecher
Teacher: Breanne Pitt
Third Place $125 Everyone Deserves Kindness
The Norwich Free Academy, Norwich
Students: Maggie Peter and Alyssa Friedrich
Teacher: Cheray Fitzgerald
Best Music $100 Perspective
Guilford High School, Guilford
Students: Rebekah Calderon, Josh Rodes, and Amanda Beitel
Teacher: Nicholas Ripa
Best Cinematography $100 Perspective
Guilford High School, Guilford
Students: Rebekah Calderon, Josh Rodes, and Amanda Beitel
Teacher: Nicholas Ripa
MIDDLE SCHOOL WINNERS
First Place $500 Chain Reaction
Shepaug Valley Middle School, Washington
Students: Eliza Slastushinskaya, Sierra Wilson, Emma VandenBosch, Sage Baker, Mary Carew-Miller, Kayleigh Hendy, Roxanne Edel, Jaxen Griggs, and Lydia Hagen.
Teacher: Breanne Pitt
Second Place $250 Being Kind is a Way of Life
Norwalk Housing Authority's After-School Learning Centers
Students: Norwalk Housing Authority, Norwalk
Teacher: Ariane Rasmusen
Third Place $125 Cocoa and Kindness
Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts Middle School, Hartford
Students: Caitlin Bernstein, Christian Feliciano, Hannah Spivey, and Sully Viveros
Teacher: Greg Scalzo
Best Cinematography $100 If the Shoe Fits
East Lyme Middle School, East Lyme
Students: Gianna Thibeau and Alaina Crowell
Teacher: Michelle Jeff
Best Music $100 If the Shoe Fits
East Lyme Middle School, East Lyme
Students: Gianna Thibeau and Alaina Crowell
Teacher: Michelle Jeff
OVERALL POPULAR CHOICE $100 It Only Takes One Person
Jonathan Law High School, Milford
Students: Abby Williamson, Basima Karzoun, Tia DiBlase, and Lexi Fisk
Teacher: Christopher Kulenych
"Regardless of political or religious beliefs or what news channels you subscribe to, I think we can all agree that kindness makes the world a better place," said Fryburg.
Envision Kindness is grateful for support from generous donors, the Frank Loomis Palmer Fund, and the Petit Family Foundation for making the Student Film Contest possible.
Envision Kindness has multiple programs for 2017 and beyond. These include Envision Kindness' Arts & Letters Contest in which middle and high school students and teachers in New London County are challenged to create a wave of kindness through art and writing. For more information about this contest, please visit www.envisionkindness.org/programs/arts-letters-program
About Envision Kindness
Envision Kindness is a nonprofit organization based in East Lyme, CT with a simple mission: to promote and inspire acts of kindness, compassion, and empathy. Many Envision Kindness programs focus on youth engagement because young people can be powerful catalysts for change in our communities. Based on the neuropsychology of how images affect people, Envision Kindness collects a diverse array of representations of kindness and shares them with the public to stir the inborn predisposition to kindness. Founded by David Fryburg, M.D and his eldest son Jesse Fryburg, Envision Kindness pictures the world as a better place through kindness, compassion, and empathy. For more information, please visit www.envisionkindness.org and follow @EnvisionKindness on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. #pictureabetterworld