Harrison County Elementary Digital Learning Coach partnered with Harrison County 4-H to provide a learning opportunity for elementary students to participate in the submission contest for the Creative Digital Arts Projects. This statewide school initiative allows each elementary school to submit 2 entries: Digital Photography and Digital Narrative. Photos entered in either category must be original photos that utilize composition, framing, and feel without over dependence upon software enhancement (filters, effects, etc.) This is a contest that the digital learning coach had wanted to participate with for several years, but needed help from community partners to successfully implement. This led in her outreach to Harrison County 4-H’s photography.

16 students were identified to participate from 4 elementary schools (4^th and 5^th graders).  Students were selected from the list of 4-Hers who had signed up to participate in 4-H Photography during the program year. Ten students completed the 2-session workshop of learning photography skills, led by the 4-H Photography leader. The 4-H leader, is a professional free-lance photographer at the county’s local Boyd’s Station Gallery with an impressive resume of national notoriety. His skills and perspective of photography were shared in a culminating 4 hours of instruction/ hands on practice and project development.

Harrison County had one of its eight submissions earn a semi-finalist recognition at the state competition. The narrative written by the 4-Her with the selected photograph included: “This picture is a picture of my dad. I took it in the barn at 5:34 pm because the light was just right. My dad is silhouetted in the barn door. I shot this photo after golden hour which is blue hour. We had just got done with chores. I chose this picture because my dad and I had just got done letting the horses in and the dust was moving and I thought it would be a good picture with the dust.”  

During the final awards program at Rupp Arena, this student was recognized with 1^st place for the State STLP (Student Technology Leadership Program) at Rupp Arena with her Digital Photograph.