A new category in this year’s Innovative Video in Education competition was created to help students learn to think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly online.

The submission period for the student filmmaker competition, better known as iVIE, opened this week and will remain open until March 11.

The digital citizenship category is new this year. Topics within it can include digital footprint, Internet safety, effective searching and sourcing, cyberbullying, and more. The winners in the new category will receive a video camera from SONY.

"Digital Citizenship prepares learners to participate in a society full of technology,” Assistant Superintendent Karen Connaghan said. “It is a lifelong skill learners will be able to leverage regardless of changes in technology tools."

Organized by the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE), iVIE is a powerful way for teachers to incorporate standards-based, hands-on experiences into their lessons.

"I'm really excited about this new category,” said Craig Leach, who is organizing the event for SDCOE. “When I was in the classroom, some of the greatest discussions I had with my students were about digital citizenship topics. Now these conversations can lead to student-created multimedia projects about their digital lives."

The contest is open to students throughout the county in kindergarten through 12th grade. It culminates with a film festival in April.

Submitted videos are judged by media professionals and educators. Awards will be given in categories including math, science, language arts, documentary, and public service announcement.

The iVIE competition has drawn thousands of participating students from every grade level across San Diego County for the past 15 years. Throughout the school year, teachers and students use video as a project-based learning tool, creating videos that ignite imagination and inspire student confidence.