This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.
High school students — and others — are demonstrating their interest in the Ontario Mining Association´s high school video competition through participation in the “So You Think You Know Mining” blog. The competition, which offers students the opportunity to place their two to three minute videos on the benefits of mining in the running for substantial cash prizes, is supported by comprehensive web-based resources, including a blog that is meant to encourage an open exchange of ideas and information. The blog appears to be serving its intended purpose, adding a “wiki” dimension to the contest by enabling anyone to ask questions and contribute information.
Some bloggers have asked if there were previous contests that are similar in nature to “SYTYKM,” so they could see some footage before starting their own projects. The OMA responded by saying “As far as we know, we are in uncharted territory. This contest is a first for us and we´re really looking forward to seeing some unexpected entries! As the videos come in, we´ll be posting some of them under the “Inspiration” tab on the website, so you´ll be able to check out some of the competition with your project.”
The level of the awards seems to be an attraction for some — “I don´t know much about mining — yet — but I like the prize money.” Others seem to be attracted to gold and want to do a video on that precious metal and jewellery. Some students who aren´t quite in high school have asked if there is a similar contest for younger kids.