Smart Reveals Winners of 2010 DPSA Contests

A total of 13 public schools will vie for the top prize in three online contests conducted simultaneously by Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart).

Finalists of the 3rd Doon Po Sa Amin (DPSA) Learning Challenge, “Ano ang Kwento Mo?”, and DPSA Quest will have a chance to showcase their entries during the awards ceremony that will be held during the 7th SWEEP Innovation and Excellence Awards on March 9, 2011 at the SMX Convention Hall.

Smart introduced the DPSA Learning Challenge in 2008 as an incentive program under its DPSA Project, which encourages Smart Schools Program partner schools to use computer and Internet technologies to contribute web-based information and educational materials about their respective communities.

The competition, which is exclusive to SSP partner high schools and Online Associates nationwide, requires teams to perform basic community mapping exercises to generate local content which will help their respective communities be educated about and/or address pertinent local problems or issues.

Now in its third consecutive year, Smart’s annual search for the richest and most significant online local content generated by student-teacher groups from SSP partner schools has drawn a total of 112 entries from 23 schools.   Seven have made it to the finals:  Ilocos Norte National High School; Naga City Science High School; Lopez National Comprehensive High School in Quezon,  Science and Technology Education Center (STEC) in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu; Misamis Occidental National High School in Oroquieta City; Barobo National High School in Surigao del Sur and General Santos City High School.

Meanwhile, Naga City Science High School, Doña Carmen Denia National High School and Cavite National Science High School will be competing for the distinction of being the first “Ano ang Kwento Mo?” winner.

"Ano ang Kwento Mo?" (What's your story?) attempts to get students from all schools nationwide to create video blogs that feature a distinct characteristic, place, or culture in their communities.   Topic categories include Arts and Culture, History and Society, Travel and Cuisine, and Environment and Disaster Preparedness.

Also launched this year is the DPSA Quest, which engages teacher-student teams from SSP partner elementary schools and online associates to research unique stories about their respective communities and narrate these stories online through their blog sites in line with this year’s theme “Our Community, Our Pride: Rediscovering our Hometown”.

Naga Central School I, Banaue Central School, Butuan Central Elementary School-STEC and San Roque Central Elementary School made it to the short list from a total of 52 entries submitted by 25 schools. 

On March 2011, Smart will award winners at SMX Convention Center and reveal the grand champion for each contest.

Smart’s efforts to promote online content contribution via its DPSA project is part of its advocacy to make the Internet relevant to more sectors of society via ‘Internet for All’. 

View the winning entries here!

(Published 07 January 2010, Smart Communications, Inc.)