When Gretchen LaCour, who teaches Quest for Success, a career exploration class, at Kinder High School gave the assignment to create a public service announcement (PSA), she didn’t know her students were going to create something that is now posted on YouTube™ and covered by local media outlets.
“We were studying a unit on digital citizenship,” she said. The class had discussed all types of topics from cyber bullying to texting and driving, racism, etc. During theirs studies, she introduced the students to PSAs.
Since the class is a project-based class built on teams, leadership, etc., the class broke into groups of three. She assigned each group to create a PSA on any topic they chose. Her only directions were the video had to be two minutes or less and a script had to be written so she could monitor progress. She said the video could be in cartoon format or featured the student.
Lucas Spears, Chloe Sylestine and Zaylin Johnson chose racism. She said Spears is a leader, and he had it mapped in his head. The three began directing and editing the piece for their class assignment.
“When he told me what his ideas and I saw part of the script, I thought this is going to be gold,” she said. “He edited everything. He did it all with a phone. It’s unbelievable. I’m so pourd of the kids and what they came out with. It’s a beautiful message.”
LaCour said someone showed it to KLPC, and the television interviewed them and played it on the news. “I’m so glad the kids are getting the recognition.”
This is LaCour’s first year teaching the class, which has been taught for a few years at Kinder High. “It teaches them so many skills. They don’t get that in English and Geometry classes. These are people skills – how to talk to people, how to act online and how to work as a team. We call it life skills.”
If you haven’t seen the message, go to You Tube™ and search for Color and Peace Public Service Announcement. It begins in black and white in the halls of Kinder High and ends in color when a bunch of friends sit down together on a bench. The message is about being friends no matter the color of skin.
