Camp Hill, PA – Drug Free Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs announced today the winners of the 2013 Sound Off! Television and T-Shirt Graphic Public Service Announcement Contest. The Sound Off! Contest, funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, gave students across the Commonwealth the opportunity to learn about media production by creating positive graphic design and television messages that drugs and alcohol do not have to be a part of their lives. The theme of this year’s contest was “Choices. . . What will you do?”

Private, parochial, cyber and public schools from across the state of Pennsylvania were invited to enter the contest. The video PSA winners for 2013 are representing the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School in Midland, PA. The team is lead by advisor Lowell Engelman and includes students Taylor Cook, Isaiah Singletary, Baily McKenna and Jack Joseph. The winning T-Shirt Graphic PSA for 2013 are representing South Side Area Middle School in the South Side Area School District in Hookstown, PA. The team from South Side is represented by advisor Sandra L. Swyka and includes student Chloe Burianek.

Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School’s video is available to be viewed on Drug Free Pennsylvania’s websites and will be distributed and available to television stations across the state for broadcast as a public service announcement over the next several months.

The winning television spot and T-shirt graphic will be professionally produced. The students from the winning schools will receive recognition for their accomplishment from Drug Free Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs at Drug Free Pennsylvania’s Annual Media Literacy Seminars. The seminars will be held on October 15, 2013, in Monroeville, PA, on October 21, 2013, in State College and October 28, 2013, in King of Prussia. The seminars are designed to provide educators and other professionals with an understanding of the core concepts of media literacy to help teach young people how to make healthy lifestyle decisions regarding substance abuse.

The winning television and graphic PSA will be available at www.medialiteracypa.org within the next few weeks.

For more information on Drug Free Pennsylvania’s programs visit our website, www.drugfreepa.org.

Drug Free Pennsylvania, a statewide non-profit, provides businesses with cost-effective drug-free workplace programs such as drug testing, training and policies and delivers innovative anti-drug media campaigns to raise awareness, change behaviors, and inspire action to prevent substance abuse.