For the past several years students from South and Central high schools competed in a movie theatre ad contest to bring light to the dangers of smoking and vaping and to promote the KanQUiT Quitline services. In spite of the shift to at-home, online learning, two exceptional videos surfaced.
Sophomore Taya Nguyen and 2020 graduate Houston Griffitts, students in Shelby Dinkel’s A/V Production Fundamentals class at Salina Central, created winning videos. “Both Taya and Houston created videos that will resonate with teens and will hopefully provide a positive impact,” said Dinkel. “They each carefully thought through how they wanted their ads to be constructed and their finished products show their hard work. I am proud of both Taya and Houston.”
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Taya Nguyen
Houston Griffitts
The winning videos have a broader reach this year. Not only playing on movie screens, they can be seen on CKF’s streaming channels. The ads are appearing now through August 13 on streaming platforms such as Hulu, Sling TV, AT&T Now, Sony Crackle, Fubo TV, and Pluto TV. Some of the streaming networks include ESPN, FX, TNT, CNN and many others.
“Empowering the youth is the best way to tackle the vaping epidemic,” explained Rachel Bieker, CKF (Central Kansas Foundation) Wellness and Prevention Coordinator. “These videos show the power, knowledge, and capabilities that the youth can have in inspiring one another to stay healthy.” Watch for these ads – the work of our own students – and support local efforts to prevent youth smoking and vaping.
Sponsored by Salina County Tobacco Use Prevention Coalition and CKF Addiction treatment. Rachel Bieker, CKF Wellness and Prevention Coordinator, contributed to this article.