Polio Video by Peters Middle School Students Needs Your Vote

How did Peters students armed with video cameras take a shot at changing the world? And how can you help them?

It's a play on words, actually. The "shot" is the polio vaccine.

The students entered a video contest to "Take A Shot at Changing the World" that is inspired by a new film, "The Shot Felt 'Round the World." It tells the story of how Dr. Jonas Salk and his team pulled together with the Pittsburgh community and nation to develop the polio vaccine.

Students in 60 middle and high schools in southwestern Pennsylvania were challenged to come up with a short video about the development of the vaccine and ongoing work today to eradicate the disease worldwide.

Matthew, a Peters Township Middle School student, entered one video in the 6th-9th grade category. You can help him, and his classmates, by voting.

"Polio Dream," submitted by Matthew, is a video about a boy who falls asleep during a boring lecture about polio in his health class and has an amazing dream. 

In his dream his classmates are staring in different rolls, as Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin answer questions pertaining to their vaccines during a conference. There is also the bully, Dylan, who plots against this amazing feat in technology and seeks to destroy it.

Watch and vote for the students' video here.

Voting ends at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 8. The public is invited to cast votes at www.takeashotcontest.org. 

The winning video will receive $5,000, be featured on The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation website, and will air on WQED-TV, according to the Take A Shot Contest website. Four finalists will receive a cash prize of $1,000.

All entrants will receive a “Take a Shot at Changing the World” commemorative wristband and a certificate of participation from Rotary International.