2015 EDINBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY VIDEO CONTEST

‘Change Starts With Us’

Using the theme ‘Change Starts With Us’, we need your filmmaking production skills working in a team or

alone to develop a maximum two (2) minute inspirational video showing how the Edinburg Housing

Authority’s efforts and collaborations with the community to emphasize education intends to help housing

residents rise out of poverty and succeed. The team or individual who develops the top video will receive $250,

full credit and recognition by our agency.

With the national campaign of ‘rethinking housing’ happening, the Edinburg Housing Authority (EHA) has

commenced efforts to emphasize the value of education among the population of impoverished families and

children the agency serves. Because our average head of household education level is 5th

grade, 75 percent of

households have children, and a great majority of them earn an average annual income of $10,130, ‘Change

Starts With Us’ has become the motto for our agency.

Due to the development of partnerships and EHA’s collaboration with various UTPA school departments that

positively impact our residents and the community, our nonprofit agency seeks the creativity and vision of

university students to help us inform our residents and the public that education is empowerment and that by

emphasizing it to impoverished public housing residents we are not only changing their lives, but also their

futures.

Key Dates

March 11, 2015 - Contest opens

March 19, 2015 - Tour of EHA’s facilities and briefing of agency will be offered to interested

contestants. Team members and/or individuals will be allowed to take photos, shoot video and

interview agency staff during tour. Teams may be also allowed to shoot video or take photos at a later

time as long as they notify the agency first. For the scheduled time of the tour please email Claudia

Lemus at clemus@edinburgha.org no later than March 18th

by 5 p.m

Friday April 24, 2015 – Last day to submit entries by 12 p.m. Videos must be uploaded to YouTube

and applicants must email the complete Video Contest Entry Form and the link to the video to

clemus@edinburgha.org.

On or around May 15, 2015 – Top video will be announced on the Edinburg Housing Authority

website. Top 3 finalist videos will be featured along with the winner in a reception at the Edinburg

Housing Authority where members of the Board of Commissioners, the executive director and

university officials may be invited to attend.

Finalists and Winner Judging Criteria

Videos will be evaluated based on the following criteria, weighed equally:

1. Educational merit and accuracy: Your video achieves the educational goals presented in the contest

brief and viewers learn intended material from your video.

2. Creativity and engagement: Your video presents educational content in a memorable way; viewers are

compelled to watch the video to completion. Does your video convey its message in an artistic,

creative and innovative way?

3. Quality of video production: Your video has high resolution and audio quality, effectively employs

visual aesthetics and cinematography and demonstrates production skills.

Questions?

Contact Claudia Lemus at 956-383-3839 or via email at clemus@edinburgha.org.

For more information find us on Facebook or online at edinburgha.org. The top video will become property of the Edinburg Housing Authority.