They still may be students at the University of British Columbia. But these 10 kids from UBC's Graduate School of Journalism's International Reporting class have pulled off a first: they are now Emmy nominees.
Led by former "60 Minutes" producer and Associate Professor Peter Klein, this team of fledgling reporters shot the news documentary, "Ghana: Digital Dumping Ground."
The film has earned two nominations for outstanding investigative journalism and outstanding research for news and documentary Emmy Awards. The achievement is a first for any students at a Canadian university.
The hard-hitting documentary traces the path of electronic waste around the world, starting in Vancouver and ending in Ghana, China and India.
As the film reveals, the travels of this seemingly harmless trash unleashes a host of public health, human rights and national security concerns across the globe.
"We were interested in doing something we could make change out of," Jodie Martinson, one of the journalism students involved in this project, told CTV's Canada AM on Tuesday.
Students take on seasoned Emmy contenders
The documentary project was part of a course funded by a $1 million gift from Mindset Social Innovation Foundation.
The course, says Klein, has now been offered for two years in a row.
It offers graduate students the opportunity to get in-the-field reporting experience as they study international new issues.
Since "Ghana: Digital Dumping Ground" first aired on the PBS documentary series "FRONTLINE/World" last year, the film has helped to increase public awareness about today's hazardous recycling problems.
It has also marked a huge transformation in these young filmmakers says Klein.
"They come into our program often with no journalism experience. They go out in the field and make mistakes. Seeing how they change in the field is amazing," says Klein.
"Ghana's" other young filmmakers include Shira Bick (Vancouver, B.C.); Allison Cross (Nanaimo, B.C.); Blake Sifton (St. Thomas, Ontario); Daniel Haves (London, Ontario); Krysia Collyer (Greely, Ontario); Leslie Young (Kanata, Ontario); Ian Brickis (Ottawa, Ontario); Doerthe Keilholz (Karlsruhe, Germany); and Heba Abou Elasaad (Kuwait City, Kuwait).
These kids will now compete against seasoned producers on such shows as "60 Minutes," "Nightline," "Frontline" and "48 Hours".
"I know some of the producers working on these other shows," says Klein.
‘I think they are pretty shocked that a bunch of students have been nominated," he says. "It's incredible to be in the company of these shows."
Calgary native Martinson says she's floored to be nominated for an Emmy, but also hopes people connect with the core message of the film.
"Know how your computer gets recycled," says Martinson. "Computers have toxins in them. Ask where they will go. Will it be recycled in Canada or abroad? Ask if it will be recycled in the right way."
