Three Tips to Integrate the IWitness Video Challenge into your Classroom

USC Shoah Founation’s IWitness Video Challenge is a unique opportunity for students to showcase how they are inspired to make a difference in their community. The challenge, which will award $10,000 in prizes overall, invites students to positively contribute to their communities, and complete an IWitness activity that involves submitting a short video explaining how they were inspired through testimony to make a positive impact.  

During a recent Twitter chat, #IWitnessChat hosted by Discovery Education, teachers shared how they are integrating the IWitness Video Challenge into their classrooms. Explore their insights and tips below to help encourage your students to participate in the 2017 IWitness Video Challenge.

Learn more about the IWitness Video Challenge

1. Integrate the IWitness Video Challenge in service leaning projects

• As a learning coach, I work with teachers and schools to build their programs.
• The challenge is essential for promoting principles of citizenship.
• Introduce the idea of service learning and community service with the lesson on Role of Values and Responsibilities in a Democracy.

2. Introduce clips of testimony from the watch page

• I always use testimony clips from the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda and the Holocaust. Their stories have been especially prevalent in the past couple of years.
• Jewish survivor Coenraad Rood’s testimony clip on the importance of respect is a powerful clip for students.

3.  Help your students identify a problem in the community to solve

• Usually when working with students I ask when what they see as an issue and how they would fit or change the issue.
• We discuss current events. Students identify problems and how they filter down to our community
• The personal level is key many times to student and adult understanding.

We hope this advice from actual educators who are implementing the IWitness Video Challenge inspire you to integrate the challenge into your classroom. IWitness offers additional resources to help you including the downloadable Teacher’s Guide. The submission deadline, April 28, 2017, is approaching so make sure to encourage your students to start their video projects now!

Join us for the last #IWitnessChat of the 2016-17 school year Wednesday April 12, 2017. IWitness and Discovery Education will answer any of your questions on the IWitness Video Challenge and review how to submit your students’ projects.