Panasonic Honors Children as Winners of 16th Annual
“Kid Witness News” New Vision Awards Video Contest

Children From More Than 200 Public Schools Worldwide Participated In
Video Education Program To Show Us “The World Through Their Eyes”

SECAUCUS, NJ (May 8, 2006)

Panasonic Corporation of North America honored children this evening as winners in their 16th annual Kid Witness Newsâ (KWN) New Vision Awards ceremony held at Panasonic’s North American headquarters in Secaucus, New Jersey.  The children, representing 10 schools from the United States and one from the United Kingdom, were selected by an independent panel of professional film makers for videos they created as part of Panasonic’s Kid Witness News video education program this year.

Currently participants from more than 200 schools throughout the United States as well as schools in 17 countries take part in this unique program. Overall the program now reaches and enriches the school experience for more than 7,000 children worldwide each year.

The awards ceremony, with Emmy-award-winning WWOR-TV weather correspondent Storm Field as master of ceremonies, recognized the creative video making skills of today’s youth—and gives us a glimpse of the world as seen through their eyes - in a variety of categories.

Developed and funded by Panasonic, Kid Witness News is a unique, hands-on video education program created to encourage students to develop valuable cognitive, communication and organizational skills through the use of video. Panasonic provides each participating school with a complete Digital Video Studio and curriculum which encourages the children to express their hopes and concerns about the world around them. Under teacher supervision, the students create, produce, direct and edit video shorts on a wide range of topics including current events and issues relevant to today’s youth for submission in the yearly competition.

Ranging from the poignant to the satiric, the "Best of the Best" videos are honored with six spotlight category awards and six technical awards. In addition to their award, members of the Best Video team will be rewarded with a trip to Japan, courtesy of Japan Airlines.      

This year’s winning videos covered a broad range of subjects, from serious issues such as drugs, alcohol, gun use and self-esteem to a poignant account of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to documentary-style profiles on historical issues and present-day heroes and a humorous but informative tale of the life of the Monarch Butterfly.

Sheridan Junior High School from Sheridan, Wyoming won the over-all Best Video Award for “Heart Mountain – The Forgotten Years” – a well researched documentary on one of the internment camps for Japanese-Americans during World War II.

“Through the Kid Witness News program we hope to inspire self-confidence and foster creativity through the use of video,” said Yoshi Yamada, Chairman and CEO of Panasonic Corporation of North America.  “KWNgives students a way to make their voices heard on issues of concern and share their hopes for tomorrow. All of us at Panasonic are extremely proud of this program and take heart knowing that KWN can make a difference in a child’s life.”

Videos submitted for the New Vision Awards are reviewed by students from Columbia University's School of the Arts Film Division.  The top three finalists in each category are submitted for a final round of judging by an independent panel of professionals, comprising educators, broadcasters, scientists, journalists, entertainers and industry leaders, who volunteer their time and expertise.

For more information on the Kid Witness News program, please visit http://www.panasonic.com/KWN.

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