South Plainfield Students Write Winning Script in the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey’s Middle School PSA Challenge

6/22/2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 22, 2020

Contact: Natalie Golub, Media Coordinator, 973-382-4560, natalie@drugfreenj.org

South Plainfield Students Write Winning Script in the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey’s Middle School PSA Challenge

MILLBURN, NJ — A group of three South Plainfield 6th grade students will film a television public service announcement this summer delivering important substance abuse messages as part of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey’s (PDFNJ) annual statewide Middle School PSA Challenge. 

Ella Kloby, Giuliana Zazzara, and Camila Chavez, from Grant School in South Plainfield submitted the winning script for the 2020 contest. The 30-second spot entitled, “Cool Things”, stars the students and encourages New Jersey’s youth to live free of substance use. The PSA will air on cable stations across the tri-state area.

The PDFNJ 2020 Middle School PSA Challenge, sponsored by Bridges Networking Group, focuses on the understanding that peer-to-peer messages help children better cope with peer pressure when it comes to substance abuse or misuse.

The program requires New Jersey students in fifth through eighth grades to write a script for a 30-second public service announcement with a substance use prevention message. Judging was based on the prevention message, peer-to-peer relatability, and the ability to produce into a video.

“It is inspiring to see the powerful messages these students created that encourage others to lead a healthy lifestyle free of drugs and alcohol,” said Angelo Valente, Executive Director for the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. “The peer-to-peer messages are an important way for middle school children to discuss and combat peer pressure that they may encounter when it comes to trying drugs or alcohol.”

 

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Best known for its statewide substance use prevention advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $100 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception the Partnership has garnered 174 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.