Giving Teens a Boost to Stay in School

Ellyn Fisher -- School Library Journal, 9/17/2008

Over 7,000 high school students drop out every school day, which translates to one in three teens in our country who give up on their dreams, according to a report from the America’s Promise Alliance and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (April 2008).

As part of the U.S. Army’s longstanding commitment to programs that benefit youth (particularly in the area of education), they partnered with the Ad Council – creator of well-known campaigns “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk” and “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste” – to address this critical issue.

“Boost” is an extension of their national High School Dropout Prevention Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign, kicked off in 2000. The campaign features at-risk students documenting their struggles to stay in school and urges audiences to provide support for all students nationwide. The TV, radio, outdoor and Web ads (available in English and Spanish) encourage students, peers, parents and other influencers to visit www.Boostup.org to provide a boost to teens to stay in school and graduate. The ads were created pro bono and are running and airing in donated time and space. The latest series of PSAs were re-distributed in August to coincide with back-to-school.

The “Boost” campaign is leveraging the most popular social networking and user-generated content sites, as well as mobile communication. A “Wake-Up Call” program features Amaré Stoudemire, NBA All-Star and Captain of the Phoenix Suns, who recorded a series of fun and motivating wake-up calls and alarm ringtones that teens can share with their friends to provide the motivation to “wake up” and get to school. Listen and download the messages at www.boostup.org/wakeup. They also have developed a “Countdown to Graduation” widget, which students can customize and post on their social networking profiles and personal web pages. This allows the campaign messages to be seen by students every time they log into that their social networking pages.

Along with social networking components, the program includes posters, brochures, in-school games and more. Parents, teachers, librarians and other adults can call a toll-free number (1-877-FOR-A-KID or 1-866-ESTUDIA) for more information on how to help students in their community.

The “Boost” campaign has received more than $400 million in donated media support, and as a result, countless teens throughout the country have received the encouragement they need to stay in school. In fact, nine in ten at-risk students featured in the “Class of ‘08” PSAs overcame their challenges and graduated from high school.

A new series of PSAs featuring the Class of 2009 is scheduled to launch nationwide this winter. Please help empower students in your community and make a difference in their lives by giving them a boost. For more information on the campaign, including ordering brochures or posters, contact Alanna Straus at astrauss@adcouncil.org. –Ellyn Fisher, Ad Council

The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization that marshals volunteer talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to deliver critical messages to the American public.