DTSOI  Team Accept Award

Springdale Public Schools students won accolades at the Student Television Network Competition Feb. 19-21 in Long Beach, Calif.

Don Tyson School of Innovation students won second place in the Tell the Story 30-Second Commercial competition and Har-Ber High School students won fourth place for their short film in the Crazy 8's competition.


About 3,000 students from throughout the country competed in-person and virtually in the national competition, said Tiffany Hamilton, Har-Ber video productions instructor.

The Har-Ber team of students comprised of Cesar Batres Sanabria, Jordan Benford, Cameron Bolin, Connor Jenkins, Jordan Jezewski, Dutch Leidlich, Jackson Moore, Tre Rutledge, Abigail Springer, Alexej Vargas and Carter Whittenberg participated in the short film competition, she said.

The entire team worked to write, film and edit a short film in eight hours for the Crazy 8’s competition, she said.

The Don Tyson School of Innovation team comprised of Brian Pollari, Jackson Johnson, Caleb Lawrence and Paden Ramsey had five hours to create a 30-second commercial on the theme of active wear for the 30-Second Commercial competition, said Craig Pasquinzo, Don Tyson School of Innovation film teacher.

Pasquinzo credits the students’ initiative for their success at the competition.

“I could not help the students in this category, per the rules of the competition,” Pasquinzo said. “Our students then scoured their clothes that they had packed, and Jackson Johnson had a pair of Adidas shorts. They agreed to use these shorts as the active wear product to base the commercial around. What followed is amazing.”

He thanked the many people at the school and district level who supported the students participating in the competition.

“While the students are the visible heroes for our school, it truly takes a village behind the scenes to accomplish something like this on a national level,” Pasquinzo said. “I can't thank them enough.”

Don Tyson School of Innovation's Commercial