Ram Cam, Southeast Polk High School’s video production class, is excited to announce its next series called, “This Is InclUSion,” which tells the stories of students who face unique circumstances.
The project began when special education teacher Amanda Christenson approached the staff about producing videos about the differently-abled members of her group, Club ROAR.
“Within our school, we have students who face a lot of obstacles- such as being handi-capable or have health and developmental differences. The more that students understand their differently-abled peers, the more accepted they will be in our school and society in general,” said Christenson.
After an initial planning conversation, the series was expanded to include students outside of Club ROAR as well. To produce the videos, Ram Cam storytellers interviewed students, their parents, teachers, aids and buddies and captured footage of the students themselves in their daily lives and classes.
“We have a focus on communication, academics, and living/working skills,” said Christenson. “My goal is to make our school days as fun as possible through hands-on experiences so that our students are ready for life after high school.”
The videos aim to bring this work to life, while informing the community and showcases the amazing personalities of the students.
Video #1
The first video features Clayton Byers, a student with autism. Clay’s infectious personality makes Southeast Polk High School a better place every day. This video was created by senior Sadie McKinney and juniors Maddy Streepy and Abby VanHorn.
Video #2
The next video in Ram Cam’s “This Is InclUSion” series focuses on twins Lauren and Lindsey Novy who were diagnosed with epilepsy at a young age. Throughout their everyday lives, they show us the power of strong connections between all students.
This video was produced by senior Nicole Dietzenbach.
Ram Cam showcases the work of students enrolled in the Publications Lab course which focuses on visual storytelling. Student storytellers organize, record and edit video productions. The course is advised by language arts and journalism teachers Kristin Behrens and Shannon Boshart.
