Kids Witness News (KWN) is a global video education program supported by Panasonic, with the aim of encouraging students to think more deeply, explore their creativity and develop communication skills through the supply, teaching and use of technology in short film making. More than 120,000 children around the world have participated in the KWN program since it first began in the U.S. in 1989.
Panasonic Australia launched Kid Witness News (KWN) as a philanthropic program in fourteen New South Wales schools in 2004. Following the success of the program in 2004 and 2005 and with the support of each states Department of Education, KWN in Australia expanded to include schools in every state and territory from 2006.
In July 2009, Panasonic Corporation held the 2nd annual Global Award Contest. Mooloolaba State School, winners of the Australian National and Regional Scriptwriting Award were one of 6 school’s schools (UK, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Poland and Australia) selected from over 25 countries and over 600 participating schools to attend a cultural trip and award ceremony in Japan from the 5th – 11th July.
Two excited students Mikayla Leslie and Joel Williamson, Teacher Danette Flick and Executive Director (Schools) Sunshine Coast North District Suzanne Innes boarded a JAL flight from Brisbane International airport and landed at Narita Airport to be met by their host from Panasonic Japan. The adventure had only just begun. The following slideshow tells the story of the students trip to the KWN awards and their experience of Japan and it culture.