College of Notre Dame of Maryland Launches Online Video Contest: 'Whose Life Will You Change?'

BALTIMORE, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Have you changed a life – or several? To highlight the good works that so many people perform every day and reward commitment to service, College of Notre Dame of Maryland is sponsoring the "Whose life will you change" YouTube video contest (www.ndm.edu/contest).

Winners will receive a cash award and a $1,000 donation to the charity of their choice.

The contest was announced in 30-second television ad during the season premiere of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, a program that recently brought together hundreds of volunteers to build a home for the young women of Baltimore's Boys Hope Girls Hope. It was a video, filmed and submitted by young men of the organization, that captured the attention of the Extreme Makeover producers and resulted in the show's largest-ever build—an 11,000 sq. foot home.

Inspired by the young men's commitment, Notre Dame stepped up to offer full academic scholarships for the girls. With one simple video, the lives of eight young men, seven young women, a college community and an entire city were transformed.

THE CONTEST

Over the next three months, Notre Dame is calling on high school and college students, as well as its graduates, to produce and submit YouTube videos telling their own stories of how they have transformed lives, through actions large or small:

• The contest is open to enrolled students 13 and older. The videos, up to 3 minutes in length, must tell the story of an action or initiative intended to make a positive difference in the world. The project can be solo or a group effort, local or global. Videos will be judged on creativity, story, quality and overall appeal.  
• A panel of judges will select 10 finalists per category whose entries will be posted for public viewing and voting through YouTube.
• The finalist in each category whose video receives the most votes from the general public will be awarded the Grand Prize, a $1,000 donation to the charity of their choice, plus a $500 personal award. Second place winners in each category will receive a $500 donation to their charity and a $100 personal award.  
• Entries will be accepted through January 1, 2011. Winners will be announced on or about April 15, 2011.

Complete contest rules and entry information are available online at www.ndm.edu/contest.

ABOUT COLLEGE OF NOTRE DAME OF MARYLAND

College of Notre Dame of Maryland is recognized for its commitment to a liberal arts education, including strong teacher preparation and health sciences programs and small class sizes. The Women's College—the first Catholic college for women in the United States to award the four-year baccalaureate degree—offers 26 majors. Notre Dame was named to the "Great Schools, Great Prices" listing in U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges, 2011." In fall of 2009 the College welcomed its inaugural class to the School of Pharmacy. Weekend and Accelerated colleges offer flexible part-time programs for working women and men. Graduate studies in education, nursing, management, communication and liberal studies provide students with a focused contemporary curriculum. Visit ndm.edu for more information.

SOURCE College of Notre Dame of Maryland