Polio Video By QV Students Need Your Votes

How did Quaker Valley Middle School students armed with video cameras take a shot at changing the world? And how can you help them?

It's a play on words, actually. The "shot" is the polio vaccine.

The students entered a video contest to "Take A Shot at Changing the World" that was inspired by a new film, "The Shot Felt 'Round the World." It tells the story of how Dr. Jonas Salk and his team pulled together with the Pittsburgh community and nation to develop the polio vaccine.

Students in 60 middle and high schools in Southwestern Pennsylvania were challenged to come up with a short video about the development of the vaccine and what is being done today to eradicate the disease worldwide.

One video was entered by Quaker Valley Middle School students in the 6th-9th grade category. You can help them by voting for the video.

"Polio Then Until Now" was written, edited, filmed and acted by Team Mak, a group of students from Thomas Demko's instructional technology class. The 149-second video (listed as demkot) talks about Polio  then until now and making people aware that Polio is still out there. Click here to see the video.

Voting started at 6 p.m. Friday and ends at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 8. The public is invited to cast votes at www.takeashotcontest.org. 

The winning video will receive $5,000, be featured on The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation website, and will air on WQED-TV, according to the Take A Shot Contest website. Four finalists will receive a cash prize of $1,000.

All entrants will receive a “Take a Shot at Changing the World” commemorative wristband and a certificate of participation from Rotary International.