Once Upon a Flush” Video Contest

“Once Upon a Flush” Video Contest Winners Announced

Shea Dunifon

Could high school students create a video— in thirty seconds or less—that either explains where their wastewater goes after they flush and/or explains what does or does not belong down a toilet for a chance to win up to $1,000? Fifteen students from Pinellas and Sarasota counties answered “yes,” with their video submissions that ranged from songs to animations to comedy skits.

The “Once Upon a Flush” High School Video Contest is sponsored by the Florida Water Environment Association (FWEA) Public Communications and Outreach Committee (PCOC). The contest aims to motivate Florida high school students to start thinking about where their wastewater goes and what should or shouldn’t go down the toilet. And while that might seem like a simple question, many students don’t know the answer, and many have never broached the subject, because what’s “out of sight is out of mind.”

In the age of social media and unlimited free apps, a video contest is ideal for challenging high school students to channel their own creativity and rapidly

share content. The videos produced by the contestants are also a great conversation piece among the students’ families, friends. and teachers. The overall goal of the contest is to raise awareness of our industry, as well as have a little fun while doing so.

To participate, individual students or teams submitted entry forms to PCOC and uploaded their videos to YouTube for judging. Judges rated the videos for quality, entertainment value, creativity, accuracy, and ability to follow directions (e.g., was the video 30 seconds in length or less). It’s worth noting that, while some videos depicted common misconceptions about sewers (that they are connected to the ocean, for

example), this insight reaffirms the need for more public awareness of our industry.

The PCOC is proud to announce the 2020 video contest winners: S First place: Cory Cannarozzi - Seminole

High School, Pinellas County S Second place: Marianne Rose Canete - Countryside High School, Pinellas

County S Third place: Alex Keeran and Will Keiser - Osceola Fundamental High School,

Pinellas County

The PCOC would also like to recognize the video contest subcommittee for its efforts in making this contest a success.

The committee included: S Debbie Sponsler, Orange County Utilities S Melody Gonzalez, Black and Veatch S Mary Rose Cox, Toho Water S Chuck Olson, F.J. Nugent and Associates

The PCOC is recruiting volunteers to help promote the 2021 contest to their local high schools all across Florida. If you are interested in volunteering, please email me at sdunifon@pinellascounty.org. To learn more about the contest, please visit https://fwea. org/video_contest.php.

We invite everyone to take a moment out of their busy day and view all fifteen of the 2020 video contest entries. To view them, please visit the FWEA YouTube channel and click on “Playlists.”

Shea Dunifon is education coordinator for the Pinellas County’s South Cross Bayou education program and chair of the Public Communications and Outreach Committee.