​​Have you ever wanted to judge a film festival? Do you want to see first-hand some of the innovative and creative projects local students are creating?

The San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) is looking for judges for the Innovative Video in Education program, better known as iVIE. The event is presented by San Diego County Credit Union.

Anybody can apply to be a judge, but organizers are particularly looking for parents, educators and entertainment industry professionals.

Judges will view as many as 20 short videos on their own time at home, which is expected to take two or three hours.

“It’s a great chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at the process and to see the powerful learning that’s happening in our classrooms,” said Leigh Murrell, who’s organizing the event for SDCOE.

Here’s how it works:

• Between March 12 and the 23, judges will log into an online form.
• Less than 20 videos will be available in your queue. Each is between three and seven minutes.
• Select the video, watch it, and rate it based on a provided scoring rubric.

The film festival and awards will be held April 25 at UltraStar Mission Valley. Awards will be given in categories including math, science, language arts, documentary, and public service announcement.

You can apply to be a judge through this online form.

The iVIE program is a powerful way for teachers to incorporate standards-based hands-on experiences into their lessons. The competition provides a chance for students to take ownership of their learning in a collaborative and rigorous environment.

“It’s an opportunity for student voice and creativity,” Murrell said. “With the Common Core State Standards, the ability to take that learning and apply it to real-world situations encourages the deeper thinking that students need to be successful.”

The competition has drawn thousands of participating K-12 students from throughout the county over the last 14 years.