There’s something magical about watching students discover the power of storytelling through video. During a week in September, I had the privilege of guiding three remarkable student teams as they crafted entries for the North Carolina School Board Association (NCSBA) “More Than a School” state-wide video contest. What started as a simple assignment transformed into a profound exploration of our school’s role in the community.
When I first shared the contest prompt with my students, I wasn’t sure what to expect. “Show how our school impacts the community? In just 60 seconds?” questioned the students. But as we began brainstorming, something clicked. The students started sharing stories of the events they have participated in or have heard about around school.
We formed three teams of Advanced Technologies Academy junior students, each with the task of producing a video entry for the state-wide video contest. Nothing teaches pre-production planning quite like a 60-second limit! Teams quickly learned that every frame needed to count.
What amazed me most was how this project taught students lessons far beyond video production. They learned more about how our school impacts the community, time management skills, storytelling under constraints, and teamwork.
Whether we win at the state level or not, this project has already achieved something remarkable. It’s helped our students see their school – and their role in it – differently. They’re no longer just students attending classes; they’re storytellers documenting their school’s impact on the community.
Reflections
As a teacher, projects like this remind me why I love education. Watching students discover their voice, develop new skills, and realize their power to shape narratives about their community – it’s what makes every challenging moment worthwhile.
To all the student filmmakers: you’ve made your school proud. You’ve shown that we truly are “More Than a School” – we’re a force for positive change in our community.
Our Classroom Journey 
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