Boost Campaign: President Obama to join Ad Council and Army to communicate importance of education
What is it'
President Obama is joining the Ad Council and the U.S. Army to launch a new series of television and radio public service advertisements (PSAs) to encourage high- school students to stay in school. The ads feature the President, and are part of the Army and the Ad Council's High School Dropout Prevention "Boost" campaign. The ads are being distributed to media outlets nationwide to coincide with a special address President Obama will give to students about the importance of education Sept. 8, 2009. The President's address, which will mark the first time an American president will speak directly to the nation's children about persisting in school, will be broadcast live on <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/live" target="_blank"> White House Live</a> on Sept. 8 at 1:00 p.m. EST.
Why is this important to the Army'
The dropout rate is a national security issue that impacts Army workforce readiness. Nearly 30 percent of high-school students in the U.S. drop out, according to a report released by the America's Promise Alliance (Cities in Crisis: A Special Analytic Report on High School Graduation). The Army and Ad Council partnership is an effort to compel students to graduate. Through new TV and radio PSAs, President Obama communicates he couldn't have achieved his success without first graduating high school. He urges parents, friends, educators and neighbors to do whatever it takes to help support and encourage high school students in their education. Teachers will receive resources to help engage students and stimulate classroom discussion.
What is the Army doing'
Education is a top-priority public service issue for the Army. In 2000, the Army partnered with the Ad Council to start "Operation Graduation," a national campaign to motivate students to graduate high school. In 2006, the Army and the Ad Council launched a new approach, "Boost." The "Boost" program encourages teens to talk to their friends about staying in school, and provides parents with tools and advice. In addition to the PSAs, "Boost" features a series of wake-up calls and alarm ringtones recorded by professional athletes that teens can share with friends to motive them to get up and go to school in the morning. The "Boost" campaign leverages leading social networking Web sites and user-generated content sites (i.e. YouTube, Facebook, and MySpace) to provide opportunities to support teens.
Resources:
<a href="http://www.boostup.org/" target="_blank"> Boost campaign </a>
<a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/" target="_blank">Prepared remarks of President Barack Obama Back to School event</a>
For more information about education programs the Army offers: <a href="http://www.armyedspace.com/" target="_blank"> Army Ed Space</a>
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