HORACE O’BRYANT MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS SHOWCASE AWARD-WINNING BROADCASTS PRODUCED AT NATIONAL TELEVISION CONVENTION 

KEY WEST, Fla. – Horace O’Bryant students’ produced national award-winning productions on par with broadcasts produced at a professional level. 

The students received two first place titles for Anchor Team and Short Film, a third place title for Convention Recap, and an honorable mention for Public Service Announcement,  at the 2018 Student Television Network Competition during spring break. They won four titles, up two from the year before. The students are showcasing their work online. 

More than 3,000 students participated in the national event from more than 20 other middle schools in six different categories. HOB Production teacher Phillip Baucom said the 28 students participating from HOB handled the challenging tasks and tension like pros. “This is not an easy thing to do. They have eight hours to make [a short] film. There is a lot of pressure and a lot of stress, but they came out on top.”

Mr. Baucom added, the students only had two hours to complete the other first place piece. “It’s a very stressful competition, but I can’t be more proud of my students, I can’t be more proud of the effort and the level they put in. I am just excited to be part of this, not just leading it, but just part of it.”

HOB administrators said it was exciting to see the students not only use the skills and techniques they used, but also come together and compromise on a final product.

Production student Violet Smith-Martin, said the process was challenging, but gratifying.  “It was a great learning experience. I think we all got a lot closer with it, especially with the tense times, we learned more about each other, we learned how to work together as a whole a lot more.” 

Superintendent Mark Porter said this is truly a Great Educational Moment in the Monroe County Schools. “This was the first time in a national competition setting for a lot of these students, due to many of Mr. Baucom’s students matriculating to high school. Their success speaks to the trust they have in him as a teacher. Congratulations to Mr. Baucom and the student production team for committing excellence.”

The STN conference and competition took place in Nashville, Tennessee this year. Horace O’Bryant students also had the opportunity to attend workshops in a variety of categories, facilitated by experts in their fields. The HOB production course is a part of the district’s Career and Technical Education program. For more information on the HOB production program go to www.keysschools.com/hob.

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