Frank Boudon and Jason Ji of Troy High have bragging rightrs. Their eight-minute documentary about poverty aired this month on a national network, the C-SPAN public affairs channel.
Lou Dubois of NBC News reports on the 10th graders' entry in the cable network's annual Student Cam competition:
Frank Boudon of Troy High narrates a scene in the video.Their short film, “Poverty: America’s Untold Crisis,” was among the top finishers in contest that drew nearly 2,000 submissions from students nationwide. . . .
“While we may be just kids,” Ji told NBC News, “we are deeply aware of the issues that impact our surrounding communities. Living in metro Detroit has exposed us to the tragedy of poverty. It is shocking to see the number of peers and young children living in poverty.”
They shot stark scenes in Detroit and interviewed local professionals at nonprofits and other agencies. "Drawing attention to the issue of poverty was a way to promote interest and spur action for the cause,“ Boudon tells the NBC reporter.
The 15-year-olds' entry, which won a $750 third-place award and was broadcast April 2, can be seen at the link below or at C-SPAN's site. The teens also recently were the focus of a Detroit News article.
