2017 Middle School Winners

Lumeria, Grace, and Zorina are seventh graders at Lakewood Christian School in Long Beach, California and discovered the video contest when their school video club put out an advertisement for it. They were drawn to the topic of ocean health because they live on the coast and have a deep love for the ocean. They were moved to action when they discovered how many animals are endangered because of plastic pollution, including sea turtles – Lumeria’s favorite animal.

The group knew they needed to portray their information in a fun and engaging way, and eventually settled on a stop motion style. Since they had to take both Video 1 and Video 2 before they could join their school’s video club, the girls already had impressive experience with filming and editing techniques and enjoyed trying something different with this project. They extended this approach to their research and solution. When the group read about a Kyoto University study on plastic eating bacteria, they knew they’d found their solution. In deciding to highlight the study, the girls explained, “People are trying really hard to find a solution to save the earth, and we wanted to put the spotlight on them and illuminate their ideas.”

All three girls have a strong passion for the arts. These self-described “YouTubers” expressed a shared love of drawing, while Grace also experiments with homemade animations. Lumeria participates in drama club and plays the clarinet, and is an avid reader of adventure and fantasy books. When Zorina isn’t practicing the piano, she is playing with her four cats at home.