Seven creative learners from Mineola School District have earned regional recognition for their digital media skills and environmental leadership. The students were named among the top 30 finalists in PSEG’s seventh annual “I Am EM-Powered Energy Conservation” public service announcement competition.

The honored students are Maya Alexander, Valentina Ascencio, Gabriella Lovdahl, Ellen Grant Portorreal, Lia Primiano, Emily Varghese and Bella Vasquez. Working in collaborative teams, they successfully transformed complex science lessons into engaging, 45-second educational videos.

The achievements highlight the district's commitment to hands-on learning and technological integration. Prior to production, classes spent two weeks diving into environmental biology and energy conservation concepts, exploring topics like renewable power and the environmental impact of fossil fuels.

Armed with this scientific knowledge, students utilized the district’s 1:1 iPad initiative to execute every stage of production. Working in small groups, the teams brainstormed original concepts, drafted storyboards, wrote scripts, filmed their footage and used CapCut software to edit the final cuts.

Mineola was well-represented in a highly competitive field this year. The regional contest included over 4,000 participants from 32 school districts across Long Island, with judges evaluating nearly 160 video submissions.

This year's finalists were officially celebrated at an awards ceremony at the Huntington Hilton in Melville. The event brought together educators, families and community leaders to honor the young innovators for using their digital voices to advocate for a more sustainable world.