Youth Voice and Vision Video Contest

Cobb Alcohol Taskforce, Cobb County School District Prevention Intervention Center and Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities are co-sponsoring a contest to showcase students' creative media talents and to increase the use of effective messaging to prevent underage drinking and promote youth sources of strength.

Students in grades 6 through 12 who represent a school or community group based in Cobb County are eligible to submit student-produced video public service announcements. PSAs must to be 30, 60, or 90 seconds and address 1 of 2 topics:

• the problem of adults providing alcohol to youth under 21, or
• how youth can use sources of strength to change attitudes about youth using alcohol. 

Contest rules and entry forms can be found at www.cobbat.org. Deadline for submitting entries is March 30 at 5 p.m.

Video entries will be judged by a panel of media experts on originality, creativity, communication of message and overall appeal. Judges will select 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place winners. There will also be a viewer’s choice award. Cash prizes will be awarded; $300 for 1^st place, $200 for 2^nd place, $100 for 3^rd place and $300 for viewer’s choice. Funding for prizes has been made available through the Cobb County Commission on Children and Youth.

This is great way for youth organizations to raise funds while creatively sharing their voice and vision and spreading important messages for preventing underage drinking. Winning videos will be posted on various websites and air on local broadcast TV channels, Cobb Government TV23 and CobbEd TV24 during April, which is National Alcohol Awareness Month.

Contest winners will also be recognized and winning PSAs shown at a public event hosted by Cobb Alcohol Taskforce on April 26. For more information, visit www.cobbat.org.