Are you a teen who aspires to be the next Steven Spielberg or Spike Lee? Do you love to make fun, cool videos? Here is your chance to put that cinematic creativity to good use and help promote reading and libraries at the same time.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The \u201c2012 Teen Video Challenge\u201d is a\u00a0national video competition now underway. Its goal is for more teens to get involved with reading and their public library’s summer reading program. The contest ends March 9, 2012.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Washington State Library is partnering with the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) to promote the video contest.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks to computers, it\u2019s easy to make videos, and teens love to make them,\u201d said State Librarian Rand Simmons. \u201cWe hope they\u2019ll put that talent and creativity to good use here by joining this contest and creating videos that highlight how reading and libraries can be a fun and important part of summertime for teens.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Teens across the country are invited to create a 30-to-90-second public service announcement video with their unique interpretation of the 2012 teen slogan \u201cOwn the Night\u201d in combination with reading and libraries.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The video produced by a Washington student or group of students that best encourages use of their local public libraries and promotes reading all summer long will take the state contest prize. The top video will be featured throughout 2012 as the official PSA for Washington\u2019s Summer Reading Program.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The CSLP will award $275 to each State Teen Video Challenge Winner. Each winner\u2019s public library or member affiliate will receive $100 from CSLP and $50 from Upstart.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The winning video from each participating state will be named one of the CSLP 2012 Teen Videos to promote summer reading nationwide.\u00a0 At the conclusion of the competition, all winning videos will be made available to view on the CSLP website.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In addition, the Washington State Library and Office of Secretary of State will post the top 10 Washington applicant videos on the Secretary of State\u2019s website.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Here is how to take part in the contest:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
2012 Teen Video Challenge<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Washington State Library<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n 6880 Capital Blvd S<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n PO Box 42460<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Olympia, WA 98504<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Winners will be announced by CSLP in spring 2012.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The Washington State Library\u2019s Summer Reading program can be found at\u00a0http:\/\/www.sos.wa.gov\/library\/libraries\/projects\/summerreading\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n To learn more, visit the\u00a0Teen Video Challenge homepage at\u00a0http:\/\/www.sos.wa.gov\/library\/libraries\/projects\/summerreading\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The Teen Video challenge began early this year when CSLP encouraged teens to create videos telling their friends and fellow teens across the U.S. about libraries and summertime reading for fun. To view last year\u2019s winning videos, visit the CSLP \u201c2011 Winners Page\u201d at\u00a0http:\/\/cslpreads.org\/winners.html<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The CSLP is\u00a0a grassroots consortium of 50 states, Washington, D.C., American Samoa, and the Mariana Islands working together to provide children, teens, and families with summer reading program and promotional materials for public libraries.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n