Panasonic to extend the popular 'Kid Witness News' (KWN) video education programme to schoolchildren in the Middle East

Developed and supported by Panasonic, the KWN programme aims to provide schools with Panasonic digital video equipment and offer schoolchildren the opportunity to develop their interests, abilities and creativity through the production of video messages.

The KWN initiative in the Middle East will commence in ten schools across the UAE, with the support of the UAE Ministry of Education, targeting local schoolchildren between the ages of 10 and 16. Under the programme, Panasonic along with its distributor Al Futtaim Panatech, part of the Al Futtaim Group, will provide the ten local schools with digital video equipment: 3 CCD mini DV (digital video) camera, DVD video recorders, LCD TVs, tripods, software and a training kit, to produce video messages.

Under teacher supervision, the students will research, write, act in, produce, direct and edit a variety of videos that capture social and cultural life in the UAE, subjects they are learning about in school or their everyday experiences. The students' videos will feature
current events, news reports, public service announcements, interviews with prominent individuals, as well as many other topics, which are relevant to today's local youth.

Panasonic will also invite the schools to participate in the annual International KWN Awards by submitting a short three-minute video on the themes: 'Let's Think about Ecology' or 'What is Communication?' Children from North and South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East will first compete at the national and regional levels to get short listed for the grand international prize at the International KWN Awards 2005, to be held at the Expo 2005 Aichi Japan in August.

The International KWN Awards 2005 will be judged by a group of renowned directors and personalities from the film world. Out of the 10 schools, one school will be selected at the regional level and two students along with a teacher will represent the Middle East region at the International KWN Awards 2005, at the Expo 2005 Aichi Japan in August.

"KWN was created by Panasonic in conjunction with the public school system to encourage students to develop valuable cognitive, communication and organizational skills through the use of video," said Atsushi Hinoki, General Manager, PR & Advertising, Panasonic Marketing Middle East FZE. "The programme is part of Matsushita's corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy to foster awareness of events and issues in the community among young minds, and give children an opportunity to discover their talents through creative expression."

"KWN is currently present in over 200 public schools in the Canada and USA and we have received extremely positive feedback from the schools, parents and the children themselves. We look forward to extending the programme to schoolchildren in the UAE, and are confident that it will help Emirates children to develop their skills," added Shoji Itoh, Managing Director, Panasonic Marketing Middle East FZE, Dubai.

Commented Dr. Ahmad Al Shareef, Assistant Under Secretary for Student Activities & Welfare, UAE Ministry of Education, "We are delighted to be the first country in the Arab World to undertake Panasonic's globally successful KWN programme. The programme along with the International KWN Awards 2005 will expose our local school children to the challenges of competing in an international environment. The entire experience is a wonderful opportunity for them to learn how to make videos using professional equipment as well as be more aware of various social and cultural issues. We are grateful to Panasonic for offering UAE schools an opportunity to enhance their curriculum through this useful and interactive initiative, which will prepare them better for real life, as well develop their skills and personalities."

The ten local schools that have been nominated for KWN are Al Ghazali boys school (Abu Dhabi) Al Tamayous boys school (Al Alain), Kab bin Malik primary school in the Western region, Al Mohalleb (Dubai) Khalid bin Mohammed and Abdullah bin Zubeir (Sharjah), Zat Al Nithakeyn girls school (Ajman), Al Deeya (Um Al Quain), Khasimiyah (Ras Al Khaimah) and Marba secondary school (Fujairah).