G8 French Students Win Awards in Redford Centers Stories Challenge

The 8th grade French students completed a unit called "Est-ce je suis responsable pour l'environnement?” (“Am I Responsible for the Environment?")  As a real-world connection, our aspiring filmmakers were challenged with the task of creating a short documentary about an environmental justice topic of their choice. Our IB risk-takers rose to the occasion. Some of the students chose to enter their films in the Redford Centers Youth Filmmaking Challenge

The winners were announced on Earth Day. Julieta Gomez’s film,“My Movie” was selected by the Redford Center staff as the recipient of the Staff Favorite Award of Distinction in this year’s challenge! The judges loved her film for “it’s use of imagery, the words she selected, the excitement, and for testing our French!”

Julieta’s prizes included: a $50 dollar donation made by Redford Center in her name to a non-profit organization of her choosing, 25 trees planted in her name through One Tree Planted, and a commemorative gift from Redford Center Stories

French teacher Suzanne Giacotto and the class received the Educator Award: Best Foreign Language Films!  Judges appreciated “the way (GEMS) students matched their text and narrative to beautiful images.” As an added prize, for every film submitted there will be a tree planted, so in the end, everybody wins! Their collection of films can be viewed from this Padlet

The Redford Center encourages young people to share their voices and impact environmentalism and environmental justice conversations. Co-founder Robert Redford believes, “It’s time to hand the reins to our youth and encourage them to become the designers of their future. Young people have the optimism, energy, and fresh perspective we need to meet our environmental challenges head-on. We must honor their efforts and support them as leaders.”

The Redford Center’s vision ties in beautifully with the GEMS mission and IB program. Our IB program, rooted in inquiry, agency, and advocacy, prepares students with the knowledge and international mindset necessary for future roles as global citizens and leaders.