Video and Multimedia Contest
Here's a New Take on Gambling: Yours

The International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High Risk Behaviors at McGill University is pleased to announce a multimedia competition for secondary school and CEGEP students about the risks associated with youth gambling.

As part of our long-standing focus on prevention, this competition is designed to generate awareness about youth gambling as well as have students involved in the prevention process. Through this project, we aim to gain a better understanding of adolescent gambling and risk-taking behaviors from the viewpoint of the students themselves.

Our past research has been helpful in identifying a number of risk and protective factors associated with child and adolescent risk-taking. These efforts have culminated in two multiple-award-winning interactive CD-ROM programs and video docudrama, as well as a successful poster contest and risk-prevention game.

ENTRIES are to be made in the form of a video or multimedia PowerPoint presentation. Students are asked to create a short video/PowerPoint on gambling awareness, their view of gambling amongst people their age, and what issues and events can arise when teens get overly involved in gambling. We are looking for an honest depiction of what issues arise for teens who engage in gambling activities.

Eligibility:

• Open to Quebec residents under the age of 21.
• You must be a registered student in a Quebec high school or a CEGEP.
• Students can work alone or in groups of up to five (5) members.

Instructions:
Main message must address the dangers and/or obstacles faced when adolescents get involved in underage or excessive gambling, which can include risk factors or signs of a gambling problem.

• Entries can be in any video or multimedia style, including animation, live-action drama, card shows, etc.
• Entries may follow a specific genre or form, such as public service announcement (30 seconds long), trailer or mini-documentary, but can also be free form, with a maximum length of five (5) minutes
• Entries must be in MPG, 2, 3 or 4, AVI format or PowerPoint format (either PC or MAC).
• Entries can be submitted in either French or English.
• Entries are to be submitted by mail, postmarked no later than December 10th, 2008) to:

Video and Multimedia Contest
The International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems
3724 McTavish Ave.
Montreal, QC H3A 1Y2.

• A written copy of any script should be included.
• All entries must include two (2) copies of each submission.
• All submissions must be original and copyright free.
• The following information must be included with your submission: full name, grade, age (as of date of submission), address, name of school, email address and/or phone number.
• We remind participants that any personal information appearing in submissions will become public, so permission must be secured for any real-life stories, names of people involved should be changed to a first name pseudonym.
• Release forms must be obtained for all participants whose faces or voices appear onscreen (To download: right-click link and select "Save Target As...").
• Personal information on entry forms will be kept confidential, although we reserve the right to use winner's full names in publicity materials related to the results of this contest.
• All video/DVDs must be free of discrimination, sexism, racism and profanity.

All entries submitted become the property of the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors, McGill University. As such, the material can be duplicated and/or used in all of the Centre's publicity materials, websites, workshops, talks and prevention initiatives.

Judging
Judging will focus more on the clarity and content of the message than on the technical aspects of production and editing. A panel of judges drawn from our Centre and the community of addictions researchers and treatment professionals will select the winners. We are planning a press conference to publicly announce each of the winners in both the secondary school and CEGEP categories. Multimedia projects will be judged on their:

- creativity/imagination
- clarity of message
- effectiveness
- knowledge of the subject
- relevance
- appeal to all teens
- basic technical skills

Winners & Prizes
There are four prize categories: secondary schools (English and French) and CEGEPS (English and French). Prizes will include a plaque with the names and schools of the winning team members, and a gift certificate for $500 (to be shared by group members) for use at an electronics store.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact:
Dr. Isabelle Martin, prevention specialist
514-398-2244
isabelle.martin2@mcgill.ca

Dr. Alissa Sklar, senior researcher
514-398-2470
alissa.sklar@mcgill.ca

Clean Break -
A GAMBLING PREVENTION DOCUDRAMA

The video clip(5MB) is in ZIP format, click the image or here to download then use WINZIP or WinRAR to extract it.

If you would like to purchase this video, please click here to download the purchase order, then complete it and return it by fax to Isabelle Martin: 514-398-3401

To open the order form you need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer.

YOUTH GAMBLING: An awareness and prevention workshop

This awareness and prevention workshop (Level I) aims:

• To inform participants about the nature of gambling and about the difference between games of skill and games of chance;
• To introduce the concepts of luck, chance and illusion of control;
• To discuss the myths and erroneous cognitions associated with gambling;
• To help strengthen social skills and resist peer pressure

What is written in the manual?

• To provide children in grade 4 through 7 with pertinent background information concerning youth gambling issues.
• To dispel myths and erroneous beliefs concerning gambling.
• To help provide youth with information on the warning signs associated with problematic gambling.
• To help reduce the prevalence of gambling problems amongst youth.

Level II (revised edition)

This awareness and prevention workshop (Level II) aims:

• To inform participants about problem gambling amongst youth (participation, dependence, warning signs, consequences);
• To discuss the concepts of luck, chance, probability, and illusion of control;
• To dispel erroneous cognitions associated with gambling;
• To distinguish between normal gambling behaviour and a gambling addiction
• To inform participants about problem gambling, and the risks and consequences associated with excessive gambling;
• Highlight the existence of support centres and treatment services for problem gamblers.

What is written in the manual?

• To provide adolescents with relevant background information concerning youth gambling issues.
• To dispel myths and erroneous beliefs concerning gambling.
• To provide youth with the warning signs associated with problematic gambling.
• To help reduce the prevalence of gambling problems amongst youth.

(YOUTH GAMBLING: An awareness and prevention workshop- Level I & II)