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By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

ALABASTER – Thompson High School recently represented the state on a national level as its THS TV program won the 2023 KinderVision Teen PSA Contest.

THS TV recently released a PSA entitled, “Don’t Stay Silent” which won state and national awards.

“It was amazing,” said Christina Chambers, advisor of the TV and film academy at THS. “They were really excited to know their hard work paid off and (to) be rewarded for their hard work in school.”

Chambers helped four students: Oswin Colley, Naomi Thomas, Kendell Leggett and Issy Stowe to put together a PSA which was entered into the KInderVision Teen PSA Contest.

“I really challenge my students to go be creative,” Chambers said. “They created the PSA, and we submitted it. How it works is you submit for your region (and) we won our region…which qualified us for state and we won the state of Alabama.”

Chambers said on the national level they were competing against schools from New York, California, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

“It’s really cool to see that we’re not only representing Thompson High School, but we’re also representing the state of Alabama,” she said. “When we found out that we won, it was just amazing. My students put in a lot of hard work.”

The student’s PSA, “Don’t Stay Silent,” focused on the topic of mental health and suicide.

“The PSA was simple, there weren’t any words, but the message really hit home with a lot of students,” Chambers said. “Some of the feedback that we got back was, it was just so relatable. Mental health affects a lot of people, and if they can spread that message and impact someone’s life, that’s the best reward they can receive.”

Chambers explained the work THS TV does at Thompson High School.

“THS TV is the most advanced class in the TV and Film Academy,” she said. “Each week they produce a live show that airs each Friday and they go out and shoot, edit, report and anchor and direct a live broadcast.”

Chambers said she strives to teach the students how a real newsroom works.

“It’s really amazing to see that they take exactly what a real newsroom would be like and they implement it in their day-to-day work ethic in the class,” Chambers said. “Monday through Thursday, they are putting together packages and writing scripts and editing video and then, on Friday, they put it together and we go live. It’s really cool to see because the students really love getting that experience—what it’s like to be in a real newsroom.”