See This Year's Winner
Pedestrian Safety PSA contest
As a teen, you know what it takes to relate to your peers, and we want your ideas, perspective, and thoughts on how to creatively promote safety for pedestrians.
Your mission: Create a video public service announcement (PSA) about pedestrian safety or the harmful effects of vaping products. Feel free to think outside the box and come up with something unique and creative! We have included some ideas below and even some scripts for the vaping theme. Feel free to use these scripts or come up with something completely different on your own!
Ideas for your PSA
- Interview a police officer, a victim, a crossing guard, or a friend to get a personal take on your message.
- Discuss the repercussions of being hit by a car. In addition to serious injuries or fatalities, poor decisions can result in legal consequences and can leave family and friends with unanswered questions and grief.
- Use statistics and facts like: Colorado Springs police reported 10 pedestrian fatalities in 2017 and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported a 9% increase in traffic fatalities from 2015 to 2016, with 5,987 people killed or on average a pedestrian was killed every 1.5 hours in traffic crashes.
Consequences of vaping
- Interview individuals that have suffered health issues due to vaping devices.
- Incorporate statistics on teen’s vape usage trends in recent years.
- Present health issues that have stemmed across the country due to vaping products, especially in teen use.
- Interview medical professionals.
Possible themes for Pedestrian Safety PSA
- Walk on the sidewalk and if there is no sidewalk, walk on the side of the road facing traffic.
- Do not use headphones or cellphones while crossing the street.
- Look left, right and left before crossing the street.
- Cross at designated locations, ie: crosswalks, stoplights.
- Make eye contact with a car driver before stepping in front of their car.
- At night or on low-visibility days, wear light, bright or reflective gear to improve visibility.
- Don’t be distracted and be aware that others may be distracted (drivers).
Awards
The 1st place winner of the McDivitt PSA Contest will receive a $500 check for their school, $50 gift card to each member of the production team (4 students max), and the PSA will be posted on high volume websites and shared on social media.
Frequently asked questions
How should the PSA be submitted for entry?
Entries should be no longer then 60 seconds in length and include a script. Entries can be submitted to [email protected] by including a link in the email (YouTube, Vimeo, Dropbox etc.).
Can participants use other people’s material?
Entries must include original material (including music, images, etc.). No trademarked, copyrighted, or branded materials, logos, or products may be used without written permission from the owner, business, or organization. This includes logos on t-shirts, branded products, etc. If entries contain copyrighted, branded, and/or trademarked materials without permission, the entry will be disqualified.
Can I use real-life experiences?
Yes, we encourage you to share true stories. Depending on the nature of the PSA, students may be asked to submit additional waivers that give permission to use photographs, names, and/or other pertinent material in the PSA.
What are the prizes?
The school of the winning entry will receive a $500 donation, the students on the winning production team will receive a $50 gift card each (max 4 students per team), and exposure of PSA on high-traffic websites and social media accounts.
Can entries be disqualified?
Entries will be disqualified if they contain vulgar or inappropriate content or include trademarked material. Entries will also be disqualified if they contain footage that involved people actually putting themselves in dangerous situations, or acting recklessly. Entries that include teens using vape products will also be disqualified.
Can adults assist in production?
Adults may appear in your video and/or help with production, but they are limited to verbal guidance only.
When is my PSA due?
Your PSA must be turned in by December 6th at 5:00pm.
For any questions or additional information, email Lisa Bush at [email protected].
