High school students across the country promote media literacy through video. IJC has announced the winners of the “Video(s)cool: create and inform!” contest
The Independent Journalism Center (IJC) announces the winners of the “Video(s)cool: create and inform!” contest, organized in April-May 2025. The competition was attended by 37 students from all over the country, who created 50 videos on the theme of media literacy. The competition aimed to promote critical thinking among young people.
After evaluating the videos, the jury awarded three prizes and six special prizes as follows:
- 1st Place: Laura Goreanu, 11th grade, “Gheorghe Palade” Theoretical High School, Puhoi village, Ialoveni district;
- 2nd Place: Ana Berzan, 11th grade, “Nicolae Donici” Theoretical High School, Dubăsarii Vechi village, Criuleni district;
- 3rd Place: Constanța Neaga, Mirela Mocan, Bianca-Lavinia Darie, 11th grade, “Onisifor Ghibu” Theoretical High School, Chișinău.
Special prizes:
- Nichita Velijenco, “A. Pușkin” Theoretical High School, 11th grade, Fălești;
- Alexandru Talasimov, “Aristotel” Theoretical High School, 12th grade, Chișinău;
- Anastasia Curbet, “Aristotel” Theoretical High School, 12th grade, Chișinău;
- Adriana Gonța, Stanislav Straciuc, Vocational School No. 6, 10th grade, Chișinău;
- Maria-Daniela Golban, “Miron Costin” Theoretical High School, 10th grade, Florești;
- Alexandrina Bulat, Mihai Bîlba, “Aristotel” Theoretical High School, 10th grade, Chișinău;
High school students who entered the competition provided different reasons for participating. Some were intrigued by the idea of making videos for Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. Others wanted to turn the new challenge into an opportunity to create content with useful messages for themselves and their peers. For example, Ana Berzan, a student at the “Nicolae Donici” Theoretical High School in the village of Dubăsarii Vechi, Criuleni district, considered it important to get involved to tell others that “it is not right to ”swallow” everything you see on the Internet, you have to become a truth detective and turn your daily scrolling into something that makes a difference. Who said TikTok can’t educate?”. Alexandra Moldovan from the “Stefan cel Mare” high school Drochia conducted a vox with her classmates to find out from which sources they got their information. “When we inform ourselves responsibly, we help fight misinformation, and we make wiser decisions. Media literacy and critical thinking help us to objectively analyze content and identify credible sources”, is the young woman’s message.
Ina Prisacariu, the Strategic Development Director at IJC, says that this contest is another of the activities that the organization is carrying out to bring media education as close as possible to high school students, directly in schools. “As you have become accustomed to, this time we have set out to promote media education authentically and compellingly. I watched all the videos and noticed the hard work of each participant and the sincere desire to produce the best material. Some were indeed more successful, others a little less so, but the enormous potential that these young people have is to be appreciated. We hope to come back with even more opportunities for more media literacy and critical thinking among high school students”.
“I was pleasantly surprised by the large number of videos submitted by the high school students in this competition. It convinced me once again that we have many talented pupils who know how to think and make others realize how important it is to think critically. There have been many compelling and impactful video products demonstrating that young people not only understand current issues in society but also know how to express them in a creative and responsible way. The topics addressed by the students were complex, with a focus on misinformation, online safety, or the influence of social networks. Moreover, the participants in the competition have offered solutions and exhortations not to be misinformed and to think critically in all circumstances, which deserves all our appreciation,” said Dorina Popovici, a teacher at the “Da Vinci” High School in Chisinau and member of the jury.
The winners are awarded tablets, vouchers, backpacks, board games, and personalized diaries.
The jury was composed of: Viorica Zaharia, media expert and president of the Press Council Moldova; Natalia Strogoteanu, director of the Media Education program, Youth Media Center; Dorina Popovici, teacher of Romanian language and literature, “Da Vinci” high school.
The contest was organized in the framework of the project ”Truth Connects: Amplifying Media Literacy and Engaging Youth to Counter Disinformation”, implemented by the IJC and the Moldova School of Journalism. The project is financially supported by Norway, through the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), and the content of the materials developed within the project are the sole responsibility of the IJC and in no way be taken to reflect the views of the Government of Norway.
