Four Teens Create Commercial to Combat Georgia Drop-Out Rates

Four Teens Create Commercial to Combat Georgia Drop-Out Rates

ATLANTA, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Four seniors from Sequoyah High School in Canton, Ga. are urging their peers to stay in school and earn their diplomas.

The four students, Megan Livingston, Shelley Backstrom, Laura Bailey and Lauren Sproul, created an original commercial called "Become Your Dream" that shows students reaching their aspirations through education. The concept was chosen as the winner of the "What Would You Say?" contest sponsored by Education GO Get It, a Georgia organization focused on keeping kids in school.

Chosen from a total of 500 entries, the concept will be brought to life through a collaborative effort of Education GO Get It, Georgia Public Broadcasting and members of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers. The girls will also have the opportunity to participate in the production process and take part in a premiere event in late February. The spot will air on Georgia television stations this spring.

"The passion that the 1,300 students who participated put into their entries indicates how dedicated the youth of Georgia are to the futures of their peers." said Brian Dominguez, the director of Education GO Get It. "We received some truly blockbusters ideas, and the messages and creativity expressed in the entries are inspiring."

Community and academic leaders and broadcast and advertising experts on both a regional and state level selected 23 regional finalists submitted by middle and high school students. A panel of nine state judges selected Become Your Dream as the overall state winner.

The statewide contest was embraced by both students and educators throughout Georgia who incorporated the contest into their curricula. Individuals, or teams of up to five students, submitted broadcast scripts and storyboards for a 30-second television commercial. Tool kits to assist with the creative process and to teach students about the development of commercials were provided on the GO Web site for both students and teachers.

Last year, 35 out of 100 students in Georgia did not to graduate from high school. According to a study by Georgia Southern University, this has a direct economic impact of $17 billion on the state each year.

The Education GO Get It, "What Would You Say?" contest is organized through partnerships with the Board of Regents, the Department of Education, the Department of Economic Development and GAcollege411. This important campaign for Georgia's youth is designed to raise awareness and engage students in a dialogue about the benefits of education, encourage peer-to-peer communication and show students how current courses connect to future careers.

Education GO Get It is a state-wide network of public and private partners dedicated to improving the quality of life for all Georgians by enabling and motivating students to stay in school, obtain a high school diploma and pursue a two-year, four-year or technical college degree. Georgia's Education GO Get It program was launched in February of 2005. For more information please visit www.georgiaGO.org.

What Would You Say? Regional Winners

Bacon County High School
Ronna Rowland, Mindy Lewis, Hannah Hyers, Erica Bennett, Aron Lewis

Cass High School
Autumn Lamont

Clarke Middle School
Nicolette Goetz, Ainsley Liken, Tempestt McWhorter, Ashley Conrad

Columbus High School
Anna Espada

Dalton High School
Mayra Nava

Dodge County High School
Matthew Pittman, Terry Cannon, Justin Piper

Gainesville Middle School
Shelae Shields, Aryian Gwin, Santoyas Shields

Glynn Academy High School
Jonathan Stephens, A.J. Johnson

Habersham Central High
Genie Benfield, Allie Wilson

Heritage Middle School
Chris Banister, Ryan Forster, Clint Davidson, Matthew Schrader

Houston County High School
Angel Saini

J.R. Trippe Middle School
Ebony Marshall

Lamar County Comprehensive High School
Erin Horne, Amy Moore, Ashley Todd

Madras Middle School
Victoria Brannon, Carly Knight

Marion Middle School
Anna Cook

Oak Hill Middle School
Brandon Shinholster, Granger Harpe, Roman Henry, Raleigh Aycock

Riverwatch Middle School
Eric James, Carter McKenzie, Adam Crosby, Michael Hanson

State Superintendent's Student Advisory Council
Beth Burnette, Jessica Phillips, Trey Hardin, Ida Jones

Terrell Middle School
Aljurnard Fulse

Tompkins Middle School
Qwaneshia Fairchild, Cody Kersey, Daniette' Owens

Westside High School
Kelley Meadows, Ashley Starr, Lauren Keasler

Worth County High School
Caitlin Sutton, Kasey Slappey, Jessica Youth

Source: Education GO Get It

CONTACT: Brian Dominguez of Education GO Get It, +1-404-463-1996, or
brian.dominguez@georgiaGO.org

Web site: http://www.georgiago.org/

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