University of Waterloo students will have a chance to display exemplary video development skills as part of a competition sponsored by a partnering local organization.

Kitchener-based video and business platform Vidyard is awarding $500 to the most inspiring video created by a Waterloo student as part of the Vidyard Video Challenge.

Undergraduate students enrolled in the new Digital Fundamental Skills courses will be tasked with creating short videos of what they learned, to inspire others to take the course.

Students will use knowledge they picked up in the course to demonstrate how video marketing can be used as an incredibly powerful medium to evoke emotion and forge a human connection.

An inspirational video is to be developed using Vidyard’s screen recording and video creation tool.

In June 2020, Vidyard partnered with Waterloo to provide courses that help students prepare for a digital workplace.

Upskilling for a digital workplace

In response to the global pandemic, Waterloo students have access to specialized Digital Skills Fundamentals courses. The courses are provided by Vidyard, Shopify, Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business, Larry Smith (Director and Founder, The Problem Lab) and Kiite Academy.

The courses were developed to help Waterloo students support Canadian businesses during this time.

Vidyard’s focus is on the video marketing module of the course, while other modules include digital marketing, web design and e-commerce.

Vidyard, founded by Waterloo alumni, is a platform that helps businesses transform communications and drive more revenue using online video.

The fast-growing organization also helps businesses connect with more viewers through interactive and personalized video experiences.

“A strong educational foundation teaches you how to learn and problem solve, but the academic process is often missing relevant and up-to-date tactics to provide a competitive and differentiated edge in the current and future job market,” says Vidyard CEO and co-founder, Michael Litt(BASC’11). “This program will effectively supplement the efforts of one of the best academic institutions on the globe and continue to strengthen the University of Waterloo’s reputation for creating incredibly talented and capable graduate.”