MARTIN COUNTY SHARED SERVICES NETWORK

Public Service Announcement (PSA) and Poster Contest

School Year 2002-2003 

Report for Boys and Girls Clubs of Martin County 

During the 2002-2003 school year the Martin County Shared Services Network proudly sponsored a PSA & Poster Contest for Martin County students in elementary, middle and high school.  The theme of the contest was “Do the Right Thing”, anti-drugs, anti-tobacco, anti-alcohol and anti-violence. The contest promoted a Shared Services Network priority issue, youth substance abuse prevention.  Student participants developed either a public service announcement or poster depicting ways that a teen could “do the right thing” to discourage friends or family members from becoming involved with drugs, alcohol, tobacco or violence.   

The mission of the Martin County Shared Services Network is  “Working Together for Children”.  The Shared Services Network, with the Executive Roundtable at its base, is a partnership between the School Board of Martin County, the University of South Florida, and the Florida Department of Education.  The goal of the Network is to accomplish system change within and between agencies resulting in improved outcomes for youth.  This decision-maker forum is comprised of constitutional officers, elected officials, and appointed chief executives of the major governmental agencies, as well as the District State Attorney, the Public Defender, and other local policy makers.  The Roundtable group provides a mechanism for dialogue and community problem-solving and serves a public policy function necessary to successful community collaboration, including identifying issues, removing policy barriers and monitoring and evaluating implemented strategies. The primary strength of the Roundtable is its ability to influence policy and funding decisions that impact programs and services for children.

The Martin County Executive Roundtable membership includes the following community collaborators:
 

·    Superintendent, Martin County School District, Chairperson

·    Sheriff, Martin County Sheriff’s Office

·    Judge, Circuit Court

·    District Juvenile Justice Manager, Department of Juvenile Justice

·    District Administrator, Florida Department of Children and Families

·    Administrator, Martin County Health Department

·    Chief of Police, Stuart Police Department

·    Public Defender, Public Defender’s Office

·    City Manager, City of Stuart

·    State Attorney, State Attorney’s Office

·    Executive Director, United Way of Martin County, Inc.

·    County Administrator, Martin County Board of County Commissioners

·    Executive Director, Children’s Services Council of Martin County

·    State Attorney, State Attorney’s Office

·    Director of Programming, Children’s Services Council of Martin County

·    Executive Director, Stuart/Martin Chamber of Commerce 

To announce the PSA and Poster contest a kickoff seminar was held in October 2002 at the Hidden Oaks Middle School TV production studio.  Teachers and students from around the county were invited to participate. The agenda for the kickoff included a short address by the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Sara Wilcox. Also featured at the Kick-Off were two-student winner from the 2001-2002 PSA and Poster Contest.  The students developed a PowerPoint presentation to give an overview of the technical specifications of developing an excellent PSA without using real props. Students were urged to do research and to send a prevention message using creative methods without using actual tobacco or alcohol products.  Shared Services Network provided poster paper and blank videotapes for contest participants. Contest entries were due to be submitted by December 18, 2002. 

There was an overwhelming response to the PSA and Poster Contest. Over 750 students from elementary, middle and high school submitted projects.  Projects included posters of artwork and photography, a new medium in this year’s contest. An esteemed panel of judges included the County Health and Human Services Administrator, the Safe and Drug Free Schools Coordinator, the Executive Director and Director of Development for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Martin County, the Executive Director and Program Coordinator of the Children’s Services Council, the Director of Exceptional Student Education/Student Services, the Exceptional Student Education Coordinator, a representative of the Stuart Area Branch of the American Association of University Women, the Youth Services Coordinator of the Martin County Library System, a representative from Children’s Home Society and the State Shared Services Network Technical Assistant Consultant. The results of the judges’ tallies were tabulated on March 7, 2003. 

Shared Services Network, in collaboration with the Martin County School District coordinated a premier night, “An Evening of the Stars” on Monday, April 7, 2003 at 7:00 p.m. at Martin County High School.  A sub-committee of the Shared Services Network Steering Committee coordinated the evening, with assistance from the American Association of University Women and the League of Women Voters, as well as Mr. Jeff Younglove, TV Production Instructor at Martin County High School and a student sub-committee.  The students in Mr. Younglove’s class actually produced the premier, including the introductory video and all of the technical aspects of the evening.

There was a collaborative effort to share the costs of the premier night. Trophies, ribbons and certificates, as well as all of the costs for printing of the programs, were paid for by the Shared Services Network grant budget.   The League of Women Voters paid for the cost of the invitations and stage decorations. League members, along with members of the American Association of American Women volunteered at the “Evening of the Star”.  The Boys and Girls Clubs of Martin County, a member of the Shared Services Network Steering Committee, provided $2000 in prize money, which was used to purchase Mall Bucks. The Mall Bucks were divided evenly among the contestants who placed first, second, third and best overall in each category. There were also the two grand prizes, Best of Show Video and Best of Show Poster.  There are a total of thirty-two (32) student first place winners, thirty-two (32) second place winners and thirty-two (32) third place winners, as well as four (4) best overall PSA winners and four (4) best overall poster winners.  First place trophies were presented to the school that the first place winner attends.  All second and third place winners received ribbons and certificates.   All students who participated received a certificate of appreciation from Shared Services Network.   

Approximately 300 students and parents attended the “Evening of the Stars” on Monday, April 7, 2003.  Shared Services Network Executive Roundtable and Steering Committee members present expressed the overwhelming sentiment that by participation in this contest, students have sent a strong message to their peers that youth involvement in substance abuse activities is harmful and not acceptable.  Parents, Administrators, and community partners agree that children our best asset in Martin County! 

The Shared Services Network Steering Committee is currently discussing how to best use the products of the PSA and Poster Contest.  One suggestion is to have the winning posters mass-produced to be displayed in all 21 schools in Martin County.  A suggestion for the PSA winners is to develop a master tape with all of the winning entries, duplicate the master and provide one master to each school to be shown periodically on the inter-school closed circuit TV system.  

It is through the cooperative efforts of Shared Services Network, the School Board of Martin County and its community partners, including The Boys and Girls Clubs of Martin County, that this worthwhile contest could be organized and offered to students in our district.  Shared Services Network is committed to increasing prevention efforts in Martin County. This contest is only one example of a prevention effort that touched a large portion of the student population. 

For more information about the Martin County Shared Services Network or the Public Service Announcement and Poster contest please call Donna M. Hosang, Shared Services Facilitator, at (772) 219-1200 ext. 30476 or hosangd@martin.k12.fl.us