We developed the pilots based on research in the field related to effective formats for educational interstitials/ vignettes but are now at the point where we would like to garner more feedback directly from you – parents, educators and children.

The survey asks you to view and respond to two 90-second videos and should take less than 10 minutes to complete. If possible, we ask that you please view the videos with children so you can observe and share their reactions.

Please follow this link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ShoeHornShoutOuts

Aprilaire: To donate $5,000 to the American Cancer Society through integrated online campaign
2/9/2012

Madison, Wisconsin – February 8, 2012 – Aprilaire, the consumer favorite humidifier brand, will donate $5,000 to the American Cancer Society through an integrated online advertising campaign, including sponsorship of online health and wellness information and a focused Facebook presence.

Aprilaire is partnering with Get Active Today, a program of Active Across America, to promote healthy lifestyles nationwide. The Aprilaire portion of the campaign is focused in 6 of the top humidification markets nationwide – Madison, WI; Milwaukee, WI; Cincinnati, OH; St. Louis, MO; Washington D.C.; and Chicago, IL.

Aprilaire is raising awareness of the role whole-home humidification can play in keeping you and your family healthy, especially during the winter months. When the air in your home is heated, the indoor relative humidity can drop to 6 percent or below – similar to desert conditions. Air that is too dry can make you more susceptible to catching a cold or flu virus.

Why go through another season like this when there is a solution? For over 50 years, Aprilaire has been helping homeowners solve these problems. A whole-home humidifier from Aprilaire can reduce your energy costs, prevent damage to your walls, ceiling, floors, and furniture and relive the irritation and discomfort associated with a dry home.

You deserve to be comfortable in your own home.

Help Aprilaire continue to support health and well-being. “Like” Aprilaire – Fresh Ideas For Indoor Air on Facebook during the months of February and March and they will donate $5 to the American Cancer Society (up to $5,000).

About Aprilaire: Aprilaire has been a brand leader in the indoor air quality industry for over 50 years. The company designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes whole-home indoor air quality products that provide comfort, health, energy efficiency, and the protection and preservation of the home. Aprilaire brand products are sold through and installed by HVAC contractors across the United States and Canada. For more information, visit: www.aprilaire.com.

Contact: Tom Ruse ter@aprilaire.com

Contact:
R S + K
701 Deming Way
Madison, WI 53717
(608) 827-0701
pr@rsandk.com

Actively Investing in Educational Professional Partnerships

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MATC students, with oversight by faculty and the creative team of Active Across America, are involved in every step of the process during the program’s development, including concept art, animation, music, production and editing. “Through the Shoe Horn Shout Outs, I have had the opportunity to be a team leader, learn more about process and how it applies to a final production,” noted Keith Kamikawa, MATC Student and animation project lead.

“This project offers students and recent graduates the real-world experience of working with clients, completing projects, meeting deadlines and bringing a professional product to market,” said James McDonald, Associate Dean of the School of Media and Creative Arts at MATC. “We hope to continue this partnership in an incubator model that provides even more experience for the students.”

Shoe Horn Shout Outs are 90-second educational interstitials combining live action and animation to engage and empower young people in the topics of health, wellness, self-esteem and more. The programs are available at no cost via mainstream media sources to educators and caregivers for use in educating kids about important issues. Most recently, the first interstitial in the series – Hand Wash Jive is airing on MPTV and Food Is Fuel will be the next to make its broadcast debut.

“Active Across America, a content development company, presented us with a professional opportunity for our students to participate in,” said Tim Decker, Animation Department Co-chair, an eighteen-year veteran in Hollywood animation.

“We are thrilled to work with the talented students at MATC, who have demonstrated a great deal of professionalism and skill at their craft,” said Deanne Monaghan, resident of Whitefish Bay and principal at Active Across America. “Because of this partnership, we are able to communicate some very important messages to kids that will be readily available across a multitude of distribution channels to showcase the student’s work.

The 15th Annual Portfolio Night, presented by Milwaukee Area Technical College, will be held on Wednesday, May 11 from 5-8pm at Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin, 500 North Harbor Drive in Milwaukee.

The Shoe Horn Shout Outs are 90-second interstitials founded in content from an advisory board of experts and turned into creative and entertaining program shorts combining animation, live action, music, and humor to positively impact behavior across an array of culturally relevant topics. Through a private-public relationship with Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), Milwaukee Public Television (MPTV) and Active Across America, the Shoe Horn Shouts Outs have launched on PBS Milwaukee and will soon be seen and readily available across a broad platform of distribution channels. The goal of the partnership is to create and disseminate educational messages that encourage children to make sound decisions relevant to their health, wellness, and self-esteem.

Lead animated characters Stinky Shoe & Coach LaRoo, the “stars” of an award-winning series of instructional sports DVD’s, are now bringing their shoe mate friends on the scene, including – Toe Jam, Hiker Hank, Bella, Lacey, and Lenny the Loafer, and the Loafer family, just to name a few. The shoe mateswere created as part of the 2D, 3D, television production and music curriculum at MATC’s School of Media and Creative Arts, combining the animation talent of Keith Kamikawa, Dominic Selena, and Paul Rynkewitz; the television production talent of Jasmine Winters, Lori Dilaveri, and James Stewart; and the musical talent of James Murphy.

Highly energized cooperative projects have been undertaken as a result of the merger of MATC’s TV production, music, creative writing, graphic design and animation departments into the new School of Media and Creative Arts, directed by Dean Ellis Bromberg and Associate Dean James McDonald. The merger of creative technologies and the engagement of collaborative partners like Active Across America are bringing MATC to the national forefront in technological education.

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Milwaukee Public Television
MPTV is a community-supported service of Milwaukee Area Technical College. Since its inception, MPTV has educated, entertained, and inspired. Today, it offers viewers a family of 10 digital channels – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. MPTV’s main number is 414- 297-1036. MPTV Viewer services can be reached at 414-297-7520, tvviewer@matc.edu, Twitter/InsideMPTV10_36 and Facebook.

Active Across America
Active Across America, a multi-platform content distribution company committed to engaging and empowering individuals in discussing, achieving, promoting and sustaining healthy, active lifestyles. Using multi-faceted distribution channels, including social and traditional media, research-based, credible resources and programs are made highly visible, thereby encouraging action across a broad-based demographic. For more information about the Shoe Horn Shout Outs, visit them on Facebook or  Shoe Horn Shout Out YouTube Channel or call 414-292-3316.

The Shout Outs, which are 90-second, culturally relevant educational shorts, feature characters called the “Shoe Mates,” which are animated shoes that include soccer cleats, hiking boots, ballet toe shoes and more. The videos are available at no cost via mainstream media sources to educators and caregivers for use in educating kids about important issues.

“The Shoe Horn Shout Outs were borne from a need for readily available, engaging public health awareness messages that impact basic behavior as it relates to health and wellness,” said Deanne Monaghan, Principal at Active Across America, one of the organizations that produce the videos.

Much like the well-known “Schoolhouse Rock” animations, Shoe Horn Shout Outs are relevant and grounded in science, yet are engaging, memorable and entertaining. Its main character is Stinky Shoe, a lime green high top who loves to joke around with his mentor, Coach LaRoo.

The videos are the result of a collaborative effort from Active Across America and Milwaukee Area Technical College.

“We have seen a drastic rise in obesity in our youth,” said Meg Miller, Principal at Active Across America. “Although there are many contributing factors, one thing we can do is empower our youth to make better decisions for the things that they have control over when it comes to their own wellness.”

The Shoe Horn Shout Outs will be available for free once available.