Clinton, Norris students win ‘Dream It, Do It’

May 27, 2026 by Ben Pounds

Students at Clinton Middle School and Norris Middle School won awards for their industry-promoting videos in the “Dream It, Do It”competition.

Judges evaluated videos made by eighth-graders from several schools for the competition, which involved researching and promoting East Tennessee companies. Consolidated Nuclear Security Y-12 sponsored the competition, and the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development Committee evaluated the videos.

The winning schools received checks to support their science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs.

Norris students took first place for their zombie-themed video for Covenant Health Methodist, receiving $1,000 for their STEM program. Clinton Middle School students took second place for a guardian angel-themed video promoting GEON Performance Solutions, a polymer compound company. Clinton Middle School received $750.

The videos are available on YouTube and at dreamitdoittn.com. Students received their awards Tuesday, May 19, at the American Museum of Science and Energy.

“This competition was very tight,” said Kristin Waldschlager, education outreach specialist for CNS Y-12.

Andrew Harrison, Norris Middle School’s STEM teacher, said he has participated in the competition with his students for three years.

“I love that we get to go out into the community and see all the amazing industries,” he said, adding that it was an “amazing group of kids this year.”

Harrison said Covenant Health was welcoming. The hospital gave students a tour and the freedom to shoot the video at the facility.

“As soon as we found out that we were getting a hospital, they immediately went to zombie apocalypse,” he said. “So, I thought that was kind of clever and fun.”

Student Avery Goehring said the idea was a funny way to highlight the hospital’s services.

“Not something that’s boring and not fun to watch,” she said.

Harrison said students edited the video, though he provided resources for how to do it. Goehring said putting all the clips together and editing them was the most challenging aspect.

Student Amelia Wilder said the most rewarding part of the project was “the bonding experience of getting to hang out with people that maybe I might not hang out with a lot.” However, she said raising money for Norris Middle School’s STEM program was also valuable.

“It was just very rewarding and just felt very awesome to be able to do that for our school,” she said.

Johnathan Lewis with Clinton Middle School said his group explored several ideas.

“We kicked around everything from zombies to cavemen to time travel,” he said.

However, once students learned about GEON’s plastics and their medical applications, they settled on an idea involving a guardian angel. In the video, the angel explains to a man who had been brought back to life how an automated external defibrillator saved him and how plastics were involved.

Lewis said he enjoyed working with his students’ talents. One student, for instance, plays guitar on the video’s soundtrack.

“GEON was amazing,” he said. “They opened up their doors and let us do pretty much whatever we needed to do.”

Third place and $500 went to LaFollette Middle School, which worked with Clayton Appalachia. The People’s Choice Award, judged by public response online, went to Horace Maynard Middle School for its Tennova video.

The other contestants were Techmer PM and Robertsville Middle School, SL TN and Norwood Middle School, Telos Global and Lake City Middle School, AISIN and Jefferson Middle School, Clayton Maynardville and Jacksboro Middle School, and MAGNA and Jellico Middle School.









Ben Pounds | The Courier News

Clinton Middle School’s “Dream It, Do It” team celebrates a second-place victory. Pictured are ACEDA President Andy Wallace, GEON’s Brock Kennedy, Wesley Weaver, Hayden Martin, Jazzlyn Elliot, Nichol Manning, Kelsi Mitchem, teacher Jonathan Lewis and Kristin Waldschlager, education outreach at Consolidated Nuclear Securities.