California Students Take Smart Flushing From the Classroom to the Red Carpet
Responsible Flushing Alliance and Youth Cinema Project announce student winners of PSA film contest
LOS ANGELES, April 22, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- On Earth Day and every day, the Responsible Flushing Alliance (RFA) believes in the role education and healthy communities can play in helping our planet and its people thrive. That's why RFA teamed up with the Latino Film Institute's (LFI) Youth Cinema Project (YCP), with support from the Los Angeles County Sanitation District (LACSD), to create a unique PSA film contest to encourage community education.
Together, YCP, LACSD and RFA designed and judged a youth filmmaking competition for students from YCP's after school program to create PSA videos that increase public awareness of responsible flushing habits and the "Do Not Flush" symbol on wet wipes packaging. RFA provided a grant to fund the competition and monetary awards for winners in support of YCP's mission. Participants received a creative brief with specific guidelines for the PSA to educate consumers on smart flushing habits and promote the "Do Not Flush" symbol.
"This project was an incredible opportunity for students to experience what it's like to work with a client in the professional world," said Hector Chaira, Director of Education Programs, Latino Film Institute. "It reflected the real-life scenario of following a brand's exact specifications while developing creative messaging to resonate with a specific audience."
YCP works in the classrooms of Title 1 schools in 14 districts throughout California, integrating filmmaking with 21st century learning skills. It utilizes a rigorous standards-based curriculum and a hands-on approach that integrates social emotional learning and English Language Arts to provide an equitable and accessible learning experience for students.
"At RFA, we recognize the immense need for public education to encourage proper flushing behavior?and in turn create better community maintenance of pipe infrastructure, save money for households by preventing unnecessary plumbing repairs or rising utility costs to repair wastewater damage caused by clogs, and help preserve the environment," said Lara Wyss, President of RFA. "We also recognize filmmaking as a key means of public education, and we have been so impressed with the students' understanding of the issue and their creative solutions to raising awareness."
Congratulations to All Award Winners
On April 20, competition finalists debuted during a red-carpet event at Bell Gardens High School in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Cash prizes were awarded to the winning production companies with $1,000 for first place, $750 for second, $500 for third, and $250 for honorable mention.
RFA, YCP and LACSD officials joined the student filmmakers and their families to celebrate the following award winners:
Elementary School Category Winners
- First Place: "Don't Flush It, Trash It," Fremont's Bees, Montebello Unified School District
- Second Place: "Toilet Flushing Tips," Eagle Films, Oxnard School District
- Third Place: "Toilet Shark," Bendrick Productions, Montebello Unified School District
- Honorable Mentions: "Breaking Pipes," Dino Kids, Montebello Unified School District; "Future Wipe," Futuristic Wipes, Montebello Unified School District
Middle School Category Winners
- First Place: "Toilet Besties," Lights, Camera, Eastmont!, Montebello Unified School District
- Second Place: "Billy the Educational Toilet Goblin," Orangutan Spiders, El Monte City School District
- Third Place: "Revenge of the Wipes," The Wipes Fight Back, Montebello Unified School District
- Honorable Mentions: "Clog Monster," The British are Coming, El Monte City School District; "Talking Toilet," TV Girl, El Monte City School District
Alumni
- First Place: "Fear the Flush," Porcelain Pictures, YCP Alumni
Expanding Opportunity While Raising "Do Not Flush" Awareness
For RFA, the competition also served as an innovative way to educate young people on the importance of proper flushing and responsible environmental stewardship, as flushing the wrong items is currently wreaking havoc in homes and public spaces across the country. And when non-flushable wipes made with synthetic, long fibers go down the toilet, they introduce plastics into our nation's waterways. As the Earth Day 2024 theme, Planet vs. Plastics, highlights: "Plastics are a danger to humanity and all living creatures, disrupting the delicate balance of life on Earth."
View the PSA award winners here. To learn more about RFA's collaborative education efforts and the importance of responsible flushing, visit flushsmart.org.
About Youth Cinema Project
The Youth Cinema Project (YCP) is a program operated by Latino Film Institute (LFI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to creating infrastructure for equity, diversity, and excellence for the Latino community in the entertainment industry. The program works in the classrooms of public schools, integrating filmmaking with 21st century learning skills and utilizes a rigorous standards-based curriculum and a hands-on approach that integrates social emotional learning and English Language Arts to provide an equitable and accessible learning experience for students. YCP serves students who attend Title 1 schools in 14 districts throughout California, and includes multiple initiatives, including YCP Signature, YCP AfterSchool, YCP Summer, YCP Alumni, YCP Fellowship, YCP@LALIFF, and YCP LiveReads. For more information, visit youthcinemaproject.org.
About Latino Film Institute
The Latino Film Institute (LFI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to creating infrastructure for equity, diversity, and excellence for the Latino community in the entertainment industry. LFI houses five signature programs: The Youth Cinema Project (YCP), the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF), LatinX in Animation (LXiA), LFI Scholar, and LFI Spotlight Series. For more information, visit latinofilm.org.
About Responsible Flushing Alliance
The Responsible Flushing Alliance (RFA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization dedicated to consumer education focused on what not to flush. RFA's goal is to change consumer behavior to help reduce damage to our nation's sewage systems caused by objects and materials not designed to be flushed. For more information, visit flushsmart.org or find @flushsmart on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and X.
Media Contact
Lara Wyss, Responsible Flushing Alliance, 206-487-4570, [email protected], www.flushsmart.org
Caitlin Kelly, BCW for RFA, 347-786-3968, [email protected], https://www.bcw-global.com/
SOURCE Responsible Flushing Alliance
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