Franklin Central Junior High students have plenty to celebrate as they are being recognized across Indiana for their creativity, collaboration, and school pride after earning a statewide honor through the ISAP Reel Impact competition, sponsored by the Indiana Association of School Principals. This year, FCJH scholars Elijah Miyesa, Brooks Lenser, and Dominic Rabiola rose to the top, earning the ISAP Reel Impact Award with an outstanding video highlighting Flash Cash, FCJH’s PBIS-based student currency program that rewards positive behavior and strengthens FCJH’s positive school culture. Their submission stood out among entries from schools all across the state, bringing recognition not only to the students, but also to the entire FCJH Flashes Community, along with a $100 award for the school and additional Flash Cash rewards for the team.
FCJH Principal Mrs. Catherine Whitson said opportunities like ISAP Reel Impact are essential because they give students authentic platforms to lead, create, and communicate in meaningful ways. “Opportunities like Reel Impact are vital because they are designed specifically to elevate student voice, build future skills, and foster engagement,” Mrs. Whitson shared. She emphasized that the competition aligns directly with career-readiness and media-literacy goals, allowing students to develop 21st-century communication skills while contributing to a positive school culture.
Because the competition emphasizes creativity and engagement, Mrs. Whitson said it offers an outstanding way for FCJH scholars to showcase their identity and pride. “This is an excellent way for our students to show their school pride in our Flash Cash PBIS programming,” she said. “Allowing a strong, student-focused identity to shape FCJH.”
The project was completed during FCJH’s Elevate enrichment time led by Digital Media teacher Mrs. Kami Phelps, who introduced the competition as a way for students to engage in purposeful learning and meaningful collaboration through storytelling and inquiry-based learning. Rather than directing every step, Mrs. Phelps served as a facilitator, helping and guiding the students as needed while allowing them to take ownership of the process. Mrs. Whitson shared that Mrs. Phelps is making a difference through purposeful learning, explaining, “(ISAP) Reel Impact allows teachers like Mrs. Phelps to bring inquiry-based learning into their classroom where students are empowered to take ownership of their work and be creative in their communication.” FCJH student Dominic Rabiola adds, “She (Mrs. Phelps) gave us good deadlines with great support and teaching for filming and other ways to make the video great!”
For the students, the experience was both challenging and rewarding. The team originally considered focusing their video on sports and school spirit, but the idea evolved through meaningful collaboration. “At first, Brooks and I were going to make it about sports and school spirit,” Elijah Miyesa said, “but Dominic told the teacher that we would make it about Flash Cash instead, and in the end it all worked out.” Brooks Lenser agreed, noting, “We ultimately decided that choosing to do a video about Flash Cash could better demonstrate the great behavior and actions of students on the school grounds.”
Like any creative project, theirs came with its share of obstacles. Elijah explained that figuring out how to create effective B-roll footage with voiceover narration was very challenging. Brooks then added that time was also one of their biggest challenges, as the group only had limited class time due to testing and schedule interruptions. “The last night before the project was due, we all worked on it together on a call until nearly midnight,” he said. Dominic highlighted their meaningful collaboration in their teamwork as the difference, crediting Brooks for delivering a strong voiceover at the last second.
The moment the students learned they had won was unforgettable. Elijah said he was surprised, knowing that there were many entries from all over the state. Brooks recalled walking into Mrs. Whitson’s office, seeing Elijah and Dominic sitting there, and immediately sensing it was about the video. When they were told they had earned nearly a perfect score, Brooks said he was stunned, managing only “whoa” and “wow.” Dominic admitted he was nervous at first when they were called down, but the excitement quickly took over once they heard the big news!
Beyond winning, the ISAP Reel Impact award carries a deeper meaning for each student. Elijah shared that winning felt significant not only because of the recognition but also because it allowed them to support the school. Brooks added that winning was a celebration of their teamwork and effort. He said that this was not about grades or attendance, but about three students making a difference through purposeful learning and meaningful collaboration. Dominic emphasized how much it meant to accomplish something big alongside his teammates, saying he didn’t think they could have done it without each other.
For Mrs. Whitson, the statewide recognition is a powerful affirmation of the work happening every day in FTCSC schools. “For the FTCSC Flashes Community, this award validates that our daily efforts are truly meaningful,” she said. “It confirms that we are successfully preparing students who are career-ready, while building essential leadership and communication skills for their future.”
The ISAP Reel Impact win is a celebration of student voice, creativity, and a strong academic and collaborative culture of Franklin Central Junior High - a place where students and staff make a difference each day through purposeful learning and meaningful collaboration. And for these three scholars, it is only the beginning. As Elijah reflected, “The project helped all 3 of us improve on a lot of different things, including creativity, work ethic, and overall it helped us work together as a team.
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