Take Tougher Classes, ISAC Chief Urges H.S. Students

New KnowHow2GO ad blitz challenges 8th-10th graders to go into battle with “Biology”, “Foreign Languages” and “Algebra II”

SPRINGFIELD, IL --  Illinois 8th-10th graders are being challenged to take tougher high school courses next Fall in a new ad campaign launched this week as part of the KnowHow2GO college access campaign.

KnowHow2GO encourages students - particularly low-income and first-generation students - to take the steps necessary to prepare for college.  The new television, radio, print, outdoor and Web public service announcements (PSAs) stress taking on the “tough classes” as one of those important steps.

The KnowHow2GO ads use humor to show that preparing for college means taking the tough classes.  Television and radio PSAs feature warrior characters personifying “Algebra II,” “Biology” and “Foreign Languages” who challenge students in rowdy caged arenas.  The fierce yet engaging characters  (“We’re ‘Biology’: we’re tough, we’re weird…and we’re echo-ey”) are joined in laugh-out-loud vignettes by puppies unable to speak French, a belching Venus fly trap and a boy swamped by a book bag.  One-by-one, everyday students step into the cage to take on these toughies.  The message: “Take the tough classes now…they prepare you for college.”

A nationwide initiative launched last year by the Ad Council, Lumina Foundation for Education and American Council on Education, the Illinois KnowHow2GO effort is being spearheaded by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) in partnership with the Illinois College Access Network (ICAN) and Chicago Public Schools.

“High school students who take tougher classes get a running start on college admission, scholarships and the career they want.  It’s that simple,” said Andrew Davis, ISAC Executive Director, who is asking Illinois TV and radio stations to air the PSAs.  “I know how intimidating biology, algebra and foreign languages can be, but the KnowHow2GO ad campaign effectively and creatively encourages students to step up.”

The PSAs - called “Tough” - can viewed on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/KnowHow2Go.

A Spanish-language version of the radio PSA has also been produced.  An accompanying print campaign features boxing gloves and punching bags to motivate students to step into the ring.  The campaign was created pro bono by Publicis, one of the world’s leading communication agencies.

The KnowHow2GO campaign’s interactive website delivers guiding information to students, families and youth-serving organizations.As part of the “Tough” campaign,website updates and social media strategies include:

• biographies of the characters in the “Tough” spots, who have their own MySpace profiles and are featured on YouTube and a new Facebook “Fan” page;
• ways for teens to easily send their friends “challenges” to take on tough classes via email and social networking sites;
• a new virtual, interactive campus tour (www.KnowHow2GO.org/campustour) allowing students to explore a college campus at their own pace in a safe, fun environment.

In 2005, more rigorous graduation standards were enacted as part of Governor Rod R. Blagojevich’s “Higher Standards, Better Schools” initiative.  The new law increases the number of years of math, science and writing required of Illinois high school students.

This year, 55,852 students at 530 Illinois high schools took 98,048 AP exams, a 10 percent increase in the number of AP students.  However, the percentage of Illinois students in AP courses stands at 14.9 percent, just under the national average of 15.2 percent. 

Strong high school preparation, Davis stressed, is a key to unlocking the power of higher education in today’s economy.

“Illinois is competing in a marketplace that increasingly global, competitive and tough,” Davis said.  “By better preparing students for college, a rigorous high school curriculum can really open doors.  Not only does higher education create lifelong possibilities for these kids, but it benefits the economy and our society as a whole.” 

First launched in January 2007, KnowHow2GO combines education, community-based and government partnerships to raise awareness about college preparation.  KnowHow2GO has a network of grassroots partners in 12 states - including ISAC in Illinois - working to reinforce the campaign’s message.

“Our mission at ISAC is to make college affordable for every Illinois student,” Davis said.  “The KnowHow2GO campaign is a terrific tool for students as young as middle-schoolers, their parents and their schools.”

Last August, ISAC brought the KnowHow2GO message to two of the state’s most popular summer events: the Illinois State Fair and Chicago’s Bud Billiken Parade.  Davis vowed to take the message of college affordability to these and other venues again this year.

“We’re seeing more first-generation college students in the educational pipeline,” Davis observed.  “Getting students into and through college is crucial in order to keep up in a rapidly-changing global economy.”

Studies conducted for the KnowHow2GO campaign showed that low-income and first-generation students have high aspirations for college, but do not have clear information on the steps they need to take.  In many low-income households, adults may provide moral support but have no college experience themselves, leaving the students to take the lead in pursuing college.

“Research shows that in addition to their lack of awareness about how to prepare for college, students are often fearful of the challenging courses they need to take,” said Peggy Conlon, President and CEO of the Ad Council.  “This unique series of PSAs created by Publicis will entertain and empower young people to face their fears head-on, as they would any challenge. We are proud to continue our KnowHow2GO campaign with Lumina and ACE to help low-income students navigate their way to college.”

According to research published in June 2005 in Postsecondary Education Opportunity, 75 percent of students from high-income families complete college by age 24, yet only 9 percent of students from low-income families complete college by this age.  While high school sophomores report having college ambitions, only about one-half (51 percent) indicate they are enrolled in college preparatory programs (U.S. Department of Education).

“We know that rigorous academic preparation combined with adequate financial support can level the playing field for low-income students who want to pursue a college education,” said Jamie Merisotis, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation for Education.  “This campaign urges them to take the challenging courses that will give them the best chance of succeeding in college.”

“We enjoyed tremendous success the first year of the campaign, and we are looking forward to reaching many more students and their families with the message of the importance of preparing for college,” said Molly Corbett Broad, president of ACE.  “Colleges and universities are looking for well-rounded students and this campaign offers an important resource in making sure students, and the adults they look to for guidance, get the information they need to be properly prepared for postsecondary education.”

In the KnowHow2GO campaign’s first year, donated media support totaled $69.6 million, ranking KnowHow2GO among the Ad Council’s top-supported campaigns last year.  Additionally, nearly 820,000 brochures have been distributed to students and parents through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Education.  The brochure, containing tips on preparing for college, can be accessed through the campaign’s website and by calling a toll-free number (800) 433-3243.

“The college admissions process has never been more competitive.  Today, colleges are really looking at which students are truly prepared,” said Rob Feakins, chief creative officer of Publicis New York.  “The 'Tough' campaign encourages students to quite literally 'take on' the tougher courses by personifying biology, foreign languages and algebra as evil villains.  In this way, the campaign makes a somewhat intimidating and stressful message more attention-getting and light-hearted.”

The PSAs are being distributed to 33,000 media outlets nationwide.  Per the Ad Council’s model, all of the new PSAs will air and run in advertising time and space that will be donated by the media.  Additionally, posters featuring the new creative will be distributed to schools throughout the country in September.

Lumina Foundation for Education (http://www.luminafoundation.org/), an Indianapolis-based, private foundation, strives to help people achieve their potential by expanding access to and success in education beyond high school.  Through grants for research, innovation, communication and evaluation, as well as policy education and leadership development, Lumina Foundation addresses issues that affect access and educational attainment among all students, especially those from low-income families, first-generation college-goers, minorities and working adults.  The Foundation bases its mission on the belief that postsecondary education is one of the most beneficial investments that individuals can make in themselves and a society can make.

About ISAC
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission is the State’s centralized provider of financial assistance aimed at helping students and families access postsecondary education and/or training. Each year, the Commission awards an estimated $400 million in scholarship and grant aid to nearly 185,000 qualified students, and also provides an additional $740 million to borrowers through its student loan programs. The agency offers credit-based alternative loans, a 529 prepaid tuition program known as College Illinois!, and a broad array of outreach and informational services to ensure that families have access to the information they need to pay for a college education. More information is available by calling toll-free 800.899.ISAC (4722) or visiting the agency’s Web site at www.collegezone.com.