Published on Wednesday, June 17, 2026
PROVIDENCE, RI - Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) today announced the winners of the Attendance Matters RI Student Video Contest. As part of the national and internationally recognized Attendance Matters RI campaign, state officials launched the video contest to better engage students and promote daily attendance.
Since the peak of the pandemic, Rhode Island students have made statewide progress in attendance, including a more than 12 percentage point decrease in chronic absenteeism, recovering approximately 3.7 million instructional hours.
The top three video winners are as follows:
1. Student Group from Lyman B. Goff Middle School (Pawtucket)
2. Student Group from Rhode Island Nurses Institute Middle College (RINI)
3. Student Group from Lawn Avenue School (Jamestown)
The three winning schools will receive first, second, and third place prizes from New England-based Hunt’s Photo and Video.
• The First Place winner will receive a comprehensive five-piece video production kit featuring a Canon camera, along with a high‑quality microphone and tripod to support professional‑grade video creation.
• The Second Place award consists of a professional photography bundle, including a Nikon camera and mount adapter, designed for capturing high‑quality images.
• The Third Place winner will receive a vlogging kit with a camera, providing an accessible and versatile setup for digital storytelling.
“Congratulations to the winners of the Attendance Matters RI Student Video Contest,” said Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green. “Your creativity, skills, and powerful messages highlight the importance of showing up to school every day. Thank you for making such a positive impact on your school community through these videos and for encouraging strong attendance across Rhode Island.”
“I am thrilled to celebrate the winners of the Attendance Matters RI Student Video Contest,” said Council on Elementary and Secondary Education Chair Patti DiCenso. “Their videos perfectly demonstrate how student voices can inspire peers and reinforce the connection between regular attendance and long-term success. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!”
RIDE also announced that, through a partnership with WJAR NBC 10, voting is now open for the People’s Choice contest.
The public is invited to vote for their favorite video from the list of top ten finalists. The public can view and vote for their favorite video on WJAR NBC 10's website. Votes will be counted by the number of “likes” received on a single video. The winner of the People’s Choice will receive a $250 gift card to Hunt’s Photo and Video.
SurveyWorks, the state’s school climate survey for students, families, and educators, shows a growing awareness of the impact of missing school among families, educators, and administrators, but not among students. The Attendance Matters RI Student Video Contest was launched to help shift student perceptions and foster a stronger culture around the importance of attendance.
The winning Attendance Matters videos will be shared on social media and will be featured at events and other platforms across the state.
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