Timmins Gold producer St Andrew Goldfields puts a shine on OMA high school video competition

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

Ontario Mining Association member St Andrew Goldfields (SAS) is once again offering tangible encouragement to the children of its employees to enter the high school video competition So You Think You Know Mining. However, this year it is expanding its support with incentives for teachers and schools.

SAS is increasing the stakes in SYTYKM. Any Ontario high school student of any SAS employee who produces a film and enters SYTYKM is eligible for a $250 cash prize from a random draw. The company is making the same offer with a second $250 prize for the children of Quebec-based employees even though they are not eligible for SYTYKM, which is only for Ontario students.

On top of this, which is what SAS offered last year, there is an opportunity for schools which support SYTYKM to earn a $1,000 grant. They are limited to one per school. “Our goal is to make equipment, resources, software or whatever tools you require available to you to assist with your submission. And your school can keep it,” said SAS in its promotional materials. Mentors – one per student film maker – will also be awarded a one-eight ounce gold coin.

“We are going outside our walls this year to offer up to $1,000 to Ontario schools supporting SYTYKM that our employee’s children attend. As well, a one-eighth ounce Canadian minted gold coin will be given to any teacher, staff or administrator who mentor one of our employee’s students through to the end and a video is submitted,” said Geoff Ramey, Vice President Human Resources at St Andrew Goldfields.

“We’re pretty excited again to leverage the OMA’s momentum to support awareness of the mining industry to students and are now very thrilled to be able to add a benefit back to the schools as well,” added Mr. Ramey. SAS student film makers should contact Katie Kolodziejski at kkolodziejski@sasgoldmines.com.

From a modest start in October 2008 and 23 entries originating mainly from Southern Ontario, the competition expanded every year and in 2012, SYTYKM attracted 139 solid entries from across the province. We look forward to receiving exciting and imaginative video productions from high school students by the March 20, 2013 deadline. The best filmmakers will get to walk down the red carpet at the awards gala on June 5, 2013 at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto to accept Oscar and Emmy style trophies and cheques.

Teachers and mentors are invited too. SYTYKM also shares the prizes and offers incentives to teachers and schools. The Best Overall winner’s school receives $500 in recognition of the student’s achievement, while any school that that produces more than three SYTYKM entries is eligible to win $2,000. Each year, one contestant, or a team of contestants, receives $500 to film the awards ceremony, with a matching prize of $500 going to their school.

SYTYKM is now in its fifth year. It has $36,500 in prize money is up grabs. SYTYKM is supported by comprehensive web-based resources and a social media network that includes Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest. There is also a SYTYKM blog. Entries can be produced in any YouTube supported format. Contest details, technical requirements for submitting videos, production ideas, past winners’ films and videos documenting award ceremonies are available on the OMA website www.oma.on.ca.

SAS, with its head office in Toronto, is a gold mining and exploration company. It has an extensive land position in the Timmins area and to the east of this historic gold producing area. In 2012, it produced more than 95,600 ounces of gold from three mines – Holloway, Holt and Hislop. The company has about 300 employees at its operations.

The OMA welcomes the creative support SAS is providing to SYTYKM through its incentive plan for the students of its employees – and teachers. Perhaps other OMA members will be willing to meet the corporate challenge put on the table by SAS?