Kentucky Virtual Library and Student Technology Leadership Program: The ‘Create a KYVL Public Service Announcement’ Video Contest

In the fall of 2003, Kentucky Virtual Library formed an Outreach Workgroup with the charge to advise the Kentucky Virtual Library in the investigation and exploitation of avenues for increased exposure of KYVL resources and databases. The membership of this workgroup reflects many of the KYVL user communities: postsecondary institutions, K-12 schools, and public libraries. Within a month of the first meeting, with approval from KYVU and CPE, and in coordination with the Kentucky Department of Education, KYVL and its Outreach Workgroup formulated one of its ideas into a contest.

In October 2003, KYVL announced the "Create a KYVL Public Service Announcement" contest for students of Kentucky's K-12 public schools. With assistance from their school library media specialist and their program advisor, teams from Student Technology Leadership Programs (STLP) around the state created 15-second public service announcements which were judged by the KYVL Outreach Workgroup in February. Winning entries were selected from elementary, middle and high school divisions. They are Glendover Global Studies in Lexington, Phillip A. Sharp Middle School in Butler, and Lincoln County High School in Stanford. All participating students received letters of recognition, and the winning schools were honored with plaques at the Kentucky Teaching and Learning Conference in Louisville in March.

Kentucky Virtual Library intends to make this contest an annual event to showcase the creative work of Kentucky's students and to put a spotlight on STLP coordinators and students. Elaine Harrison, the STLP Coordinator for KDE, was immensely helpful in finalizing the contest details and is enthusiastic for us to sponsor this contest next year.

“What is the STLP™ Program? The Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP™) is a project-based learning program that empowers students in all grade levels to use technology in and out of the classroom. It was established in 1994 by the STLP State Advisory Council which is composed of teachers, students and community leaders.

Student-designed projects fall into four categories-instructional, community, technical, and entrepreneurial-and are created to help the school and community while also meeting the 6 STLP Goals. Some activities qualify as service-learning projects and provide assistance to charities or other local agencies in need. Other activities can be described as entrepreneurial, and illustrate the beginning steps of forming a small business. The program is open to ALL students in all grade levels in every school (P-16) in Kentucky.” *

*From the Kentucky Department for Education website, http://www.education.ky.gov