TCS Students Win Top Prize for Their Film on Data Centers

Six recent graduates of The Children's School have won a $500 Environmental Activism Award (Local) in the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest for their short film "Generating Our Future." Holly Murphy, Indra Mallik, Amelia Richards, Jasmine Dola, Otto Bruner, and William Peterson completed the film as 8th graders as part of a class project on the Great Lakes. The prize is sponsored by Food and Water Watch and the international contest is based in Chicago.

In their 8-minute film, the students highlight the problems caused by burgeoning data centers near the Great Lakes. Currently, 847 data centers use approximately 60 million gallons of water daily.

Usually, water is pumped through a membrane to cool the data center server rooms. More than 50 percent of this water evaporates without returning to the water supply. Most data centers connect to municipal water supplies and are not required by the state to disclose their water usage.

Says the narrator, "The Great Lakes are a crucial resource and we all have the responsibility to preserve them for generations to come."

The One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest asks students from age 8 to 25 to create a 3- to 8- minute environmental film that inspires change or action. During the past year, One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest received 428 submissions from 58 countries and 35 states. Germany, South Korea, Poland, Argentina, Guinea, India and Taiwan will be represented among winners, along with the U.S. states of Texas, Illinois, and California.

"We are incredibly proud of Holly, Indra, Amelia, Jasmine, Otto, and William, and deeply grateful to [8th grade teacher] Gloria Mitchell for guiding them through this project," says Head of School Michelle Candelaria-Dunstan. "Knowing that their film has been recognized among submissions from around the world is an incredible honor.

"At The Children's School, we strive to create authentic learning experiences that empower students to engage with real-world issues, think critically, and use their voices to make a difference. This recognition beautifully reflects that vision in action."

"Generating Our Future" and other winning films will be screened at a Global Awards Celebration at 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, in person at Davis Theater, 4614 N. Lincoln Ave., in Chicago, Illinois, OR online virtually anywhere in the world. A special screening for those in Asia/Pacific is also available. Adam Joel of Aggressively Compassionate will host this special event, introducing the winners before their film's premiere. Reserve tickets here.

Congratulations to the contest winners and thanks to all who supported their creation of this film!

Photos: Eileen Molony Photography