Parkrose high school students win safety video contest
Students at Parkrose High School in Portland won $500 first- and $400 second-place prizes for videos they entered into a contest designed to increase awareness about workplace safety for young workers. The school also won matching amounts of prize money.
The video that garnered first place, "Voices in My Head," depicts a young worker who, under threat of firing, is ordered to do a job he's never done before. The worker struggles with pro-and-con voices in his head, eventually making the right – and safe – decision: His job shouldn't cost him his future.
Leah Coyle, a senior who directed the video, said she has friends who have been told to do unsafe work. She hopes the video helps young workers overcome such situations. "I want my peers to be safe," she said.
The video that won second place, "#47," centers on a worker who presses the wrong button on a human-cloning machine, coming close to unleashing destruction. After disaster is avoided, the worker is reminded by his supervisor about the importance of speaking up when you don't know how to do a job safely.
Rae Millard, a senior who directed the video, said he's honored to be part of a project that puts the spotlight on young worker safety. And he learned a lot along the way. "I didn't know that it was much of an issue until this project was introduced to me," he said.
The creators of the top videos were presented their awards on Friday during a special event at Parkrose High School. Sponsored by the Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O
"Voices in My Head"
Producer/director: Leah Coyle
Actors: Keely Byerley (senior), Coyle, Salena Garver (senior), Matt Tremblay (senior)
Editors: Coyle, Garver
Second place ($400)
"#47"
Producer/director: Rae Millard
Script: Mitchel Hummel (junior)
Actors: Millard, Sophia Swim (junior), Janos Wilson (sophomore)
Camera: Thomas Poupore (junior)
Editor: Millard
The winning videos are available for viewing on YouTube: "Voices in My Head," https://youtu.be/QgxNiXTzg-w "#47," https://youtu.be/Wh4X3wzWdGI
The Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O is a nonprofit dedicated to preventing young worker injuries and fatalities. O[yes] members include safety and health professionals, educators, employers, labor and trade associations, and regulators. For more information, go to http://youngemployeesafety.org/
Contact Info:
Aaron Corvin, public information officer
503-947-7428
aaron.corvin@oregon.gov
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