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STUDENTS CREATE AWARD-WINNING PSAS TO PROMOTE FLORIDA KIDCARE

2/19/2010

“Research shows that Florida children between the ages of 12 and 18 are the least likely to have health insurance and I believe this non-traditional approach to outreach could be a win-win for this age group,” said Robleto. “The students who entered the contest had the chance to win prizes and the uninsured children who entered the contest or heard about it, could tell mom and dad to sign them up for Florida KidCare. We’re also taking this outreach a step further and using the winning ads in a campaign this spring to reach families with uninsured kids.”

Last fall, the contest was promoted in public and private schools across Florida and a lesson plan was provided to help technology, broadcast and art instructors incorporate the contest into their curriculum.
Students created and submitted their billboard designs through the interactive ActOutForHealth.net website and many of the television PSA entries were created as a class project.

More than 75 students, parents, teachers and principals from around the state attended the awards ceremony, which was hosted by the Florida Hospital for Children in Winter Park. Robleto announced the 12 regional winners for both categories and then revealed the statewide billboard winner and statewide television PSA winner.

High school seniors Luke and David Consolo from Osceola County School for the Arts took the statewide honor for their television PSA. This spring, Comcast Cable is donating airtime to show their winning commercial across the state.

Eleventh grader Michael Cardona from South Tech Academy was the statewide winner in the billboard category. Clear Channel Outdoor, a member of the Florida Outdoor Advertising Association, is donating billboard space in Cardona’s hometown of Boynton Beach to display his design during the month of February.

The following students were recognized as the regional winners in both the PSA and billboard categories:

Florida KidCare Act-Out For Health Regional Winners
• Region 1 (Tallahassee/Panama City/Pensacola)
PSA: “Perfect 10” by Austin Smith, Tyler Fatkin and Darsak Patel, Lincoln High School
Billboard: Onoriode Onokpise, Godby High School

• Region 2 (Gainesville/Ocala/Jacksonville)
PSA: “Breaking News” by Kiondre Boone, Colby Cranney, Kane Parks, Dunnellon Middle School
Billboard: Whitney Wellmaker, Oakleaf Junior High School

• Region 3 (Orlando/Daytona/Melbourne)
PSA: “KidCare for All of Us” by Brittany Skeels, Allison Tate-Cortese, Hyung-Jin Kim, Oviedo High School
Billboard: Michelle Morrison, Deltona High School

• Region 4 (Tampa/St. Petersburg/Lakeland)
PSA: “I’m Insured Thanks to Affordable Florida KidCare” by Caleb Oostarling, Austin Kassin, Derek Mort, John Long Middle School
Billboard: Cornelius O’Donoghue, Clearwater High School

• Region 5 (Miami/Fort Lauderdale/West Palm Beach)
PSA: “Putting a Price on Healthcare” by Grant Grillo, Hailey Mears, Seminole Ridge Community High School
Billboard: Sebastian Spencer, South Tech Academy

• Region 6 (Fort Myers/Naples)
PSA: “That’s a Bad Idea” by Kelsey Congress, Casey Wexler, Jillian Richter, The Sanibel School
Billboard: Maria Mullis, Cypress Lakes High School

To view all of the winning billboards and television PSAs, visit www.ActOutForHealth.net.

Florida KidCare accepts applications year-round and children enrolled in the program receive regular doctor’s visits, immunizations and routine vision and hearing screening. Most families pay a premium of $20 per month, many pay nothing at all. Nearly 1.6 million children are served by Florida KidCare, of which 1.4 million are Medicaid customers and more than 255,000 are enrolled in MediKids, Children’s Medical Services or Healthy Kids.

About Florida KidCare
Florida KidCare offers affordable, quality health insurance for children under the age of 19, whose parents can’t afford private health coverage. Children enrolled in the program receive regular doctor’s visits, dental check-ups, and immunizations. For additional information please visit www.floridakidcare.org.

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