Messages Promote School District’s Re-Engagement Center and Children’s Eye Health
(Philadelphia, PA) March 18, 2010 – A pair of public awareness posters produced by Public Citizens for Children and Youth – spotlighting children’s vision and teen parents’ educational options – await Philadelphians riding the subway or visiting health and human service providers in the city.
One poster targets pregnant and parenting youth, encouraging the teens to visit the School District’s Re-Engagement Center. Established in 2008 to help combat Philadelphia’s near 45 percent dropout rate, the Center assists young people who want to
remain in or return to high school and earn their diplomas. The poster depicts a young woman dressed in a cap and gown handing her diploma to her preschool son, and will be distributed to health centers and County Assistance Offices and WIC offices citywide.
“Kids who drop out are usually hard to find,” says Colleen McCauley, Heath Director. “But over 90 percent of pregnant and parenting girls get prenatal care. So the 750 posters will go where they are, trying to catch kids who have left school.”
The poster’s copy, “It’s not about you anymore…but you’re not alone,” resonated with focus groups PCCY conducted with pregnant and parenting teens. “The kids said it was a powerful message they got from family and in school,” McCauley notes, recalling the tale of one expectant teen whose counselor pointed out that she needed to graduate to be able to provide for her child financially. “It made her stand up and think about it. And she knew her counselor was right.
“We recognize that it can be hard to get back in or stay in school once a teen becomes a parent” McCauley adds. “But help is available. It starts with a phone call to the one-stop shop for helping kids get their diploma.”
A second poster hanging in railcars along SEPTA’s Market-Frankford line is part of a year-long campaign urging parents to have their child’s vision checked. Featuring Philadelphia Eagles Defensive End Trent Cole and produced in conjunction with Eagles Youth Partnership, the poster follows November’s ‘Give Kids Sight Day’ where over 1,100 Philadelphia children received free eye checks (and glasses if necessary) at Wills Eye Institute and The Eye Institute. A contact phone number and PCCY’s website are included on the poster for parents who need assistance finding a vision care provider in their neighborhood.