Ellsworth Hill students win global Sora contest

Submitted by Hudson City Schools

Four Ellsworth Hill Elementary students recently earned first place in the Best Student Made submission category of the 2026 Sora School Stars contest.

Last school year, third-grade students Genevieve Hedden, Kara Peterson, Juliana Yako and Ava Wyatt produced an original video skit promoting Sora, the digital library platform used throughout the Hudson City School District. In the video, the students played out every reader’s worst library mishaps: a spilled drink, a paper cut and a torn page. Their lighthearted comparison between borrowing physical books and reading digitally earned Ellsworth Hill $500 in Sora content credit to expand the school’s digital book collection.

The girls developed the concept, wrote the script, planned their wardrobe, scheduled filming time and partnered with Ellsworth Media Specialist Angie Jameson to bring the skit to life.

“These girls came to me with a vision, and my job was to make space for them to execute it,” said Jameson. “They knew what they wanted to say and exactly how they wanted to say it. Watching second-graders take that kind of creative ownership – and earn a global win for it – is why I love this work.”

Jameson’s approach to pairing student creativity with technology aligns closely with the purpose of the School Stars contest, which invited K-12 schools around the world to show how they bring Sora to life for students.

Principal Jennifer Filomena said the win reflects both the students’ initiative and the culture Jameson is building in the Ellsworth Hill Media Center.

“From concept to camera, this project belonged to Genevieve, Kara, Juliana and Ava, and that ownership shows in every second of it,” said Filomena. “Mrs. Jameson has a rare gift for inspiring students to see themselves as creators, not just consumers.”

Photo caption: Ellsworth Hill Elementary Media Specialist Angie Jameson stands with third-graders Ava Wyatt, Juliana Yako, Kara Peterson and Genevieve Hedden, who earned first place in the global 2026 Sora School Stars contest for their original digital library promo video. Photo submitted.