Winners Announced for the 2017 Panasonic Kid Witness News Video Competition

NEWARK, N.J., May 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Panasonic Corporation of North America announced the winners of its 2017 Kid Witness News (KWN) video competition. The "Best Video of the Year" awards went to Rancho Minerva Middle School (Vista, CA) for their video "Dear America" and Eastlake High School (Chula Vista, CA) for their video "It's Worth It".  Another top winner was Maui High School (Kahului, HI) which was awarded the "Best Eco-Effect PSA of the Year" Award for its video, "An Ocean Delicacy."

In addition to the top winning schools, four other schools received the 2017 New Vision Award:

Primary (grade 4-8)

• Prairie View Elementary (Enid, OK) – "It's About Time"
• Sheridan Jr. HS (Sheridan, WY) – "The Food Group"

Secondary (grades 9 – 12)

• Vista Academy HS (Denver, CO) – "My Helping Hands"
• Val Verde HS (Perris, CA) – "5 Finger Discount"

"At Panasonic, we are committed to young people both in our own community and across the country. The Kid Witness News program provides a mutually beneficial medium for adults to see - "The World Through Their Eyes" –  and illustrates the company's desire to invest in education and the future of this country," said Peter Fannon, Vice President of Corporate, Government and Public Affairs, Panasonic Corporation of North America. 

Through the KWN video education program, Panasonic provides participating schools (grades 4-12; age 18 and under) with the latest digital equipment so students can create and communicate stories that are important to them and their communities. This year students were required to create human interest stories of their choosing. The KWN program emphasizes team-centered learning that encourages students to develop valuable cognitive, communication and organizational skills through the use of an artistic platform.

Students and teachers from the winning schools traveled to Newark, NJ for the KWN Winners Weekend, which included an awards ceremony at Panasonic's North American headquarters in Newark and sightseeing in New York City.

About Panasonic Kid Witness News
Kid Witness News (KWN) got its start in 1989 in the U.S. as a hands-on video education program supported by Panasonic North America, which supplied video cameras and editing equipment to public elementary and middle schools to make news programs from the perspective of children.  The program was subsequently expanded globally.  At present, 548 schools from 23 countries are program participants.

KWN is designed to foster creativity and presentation skills among young students. Supervising teachers cite further merits of the program such as a heightened awareness of the environment and the community as well as development of team skills among participants through the process of creating videos.  The expanding network of KWN schools also provides a platform for international exchange among KWN students. Learn more about Panasonic Kid Witness News at http://www.panasonic.com/us/corporate/profile/community-outreach.html

About Panasonic Corporation of North America
Newark, NJ-based Panasonic Corporation of North America is a leading technology partner and integrator to businesses, government agencies and consumers across the region. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Corporation and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. Panasonic was featured in Fortune Magazine's 2016 ranking of 50 companies that are changing the world and doing well by doing good.  Specifically cited were its smart and sustainable technologies, including its contributions to smart cities and the electric vehicle revolution.  Learn more about Panasonic at www.panasonicmovesus.com.

SOURCE Panasonic Corporation of North America

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