Ad Council and Hispanic Scholarship Fund Launch Campaign to Inspire and Empower Hispanic Parents to Take a More Active Role in Getting Their Kids to College

NEW YORK, April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent Pew Hispanic Center study, many Hispanic youth are not pursuing a college degree as a result of their parents not understanding the steps they can take to help their children prepare for and apply to college. In an effort to raise awareness among Hispanic parents about the critically important role they play in encouraging their children to go to college, The Advertising Council, in partnership with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, launched today a national multimedia public service advertising campaign to confront this issue.

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Hispanics currently represent 15 percent of the U.S. population, or 50 million people, and are projected to represent 28 percent, or 128 million people, by 2050. According to a Pew study, 9 in 10 Hispanic parents agree that the way to a good job and a comfortable lifestyle is through a college degree. In fact, more than three-quarters (77%) of Hispanics ages 16 to 25 report their parents think going to college is the most important thing to do after high school. More so, 6 in 10 (60%) Hispanics who have gone to college rank their parents as being the most influential in their decision to continue their schooling. However, Tomas Rivera Policy Institute studies have shown that more than 65% of Hispanic parents do not have the knowledge to guide their children as they seek to apply and enroll in college.

The new PSA campaign primarily aims to reach low- to mid-acculturated Hispanic parents in the U.S.  The majority of these parents do not hold a college degree and lack the information and guidance to successfully motivate their children to go to college. The objective of the campaign is to provide these parents with the resources needed through the new campaign website, www.YourWordsToday.org, and toll-free number, 1-877-HSF-8711.

"We are at a critical juncture in our nation's history, and Latino parents need our support," exclaims Frank Alvarez, CEO and President of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. "Thanks to our partnership with the Ad Council and Grupo Gallegos, we believe that these compelling PSAs and our toolkit for parents will encourage and inspire parents to take a more active role in encouraging their children to go to college.  Given the growing Latino population demographic and the disparities in educational attainment, we affirm that this is a national issue that must be embraced by all of us."

"Hispanic parents and their children see college as important but are at a disadvantage because many have not had the opportunity to attend college themselves. We are thrilled to be working with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and Grupo Gallegos on this empowering campaign to help educate Hispanic parents on the critical role they play in helping their children go to college," said Peggy Conlon, President & CEO of the Ad Council. "By providing these parents with the necessary resources to better educate themselves for the college process, we can encourage all Hispanic parents to guide their children to a college degree."

Created pro bono by Grupo Gallegos, the campaign includes new television, radio, print, outdoor and Web advertising, which is available in English and Spanish. The PSAs conclude with the tagline "De tus palabras de hoy depende su manana." ("Their tomorrow depends on your words today") and directs parents to visit a new comprehensive website, www.YourWordsToday.org, www.TusPalabrasdeHoy.org, or call a toll-free number (1-877-HSF-8711). The site, which is also available in Spanish, empowers parents to get involved by offering resources to better understand and navigate the college process.  Parents can also call the toll-free number to order a free informational DVD.  The DVD includes real life videos created and produced by Novelas Educativas™, in collaboration with the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP).

"At Grupo Gallegos, we were motivated to do our part to further awareness of this critically important issue," said John Gallegos, President, Grupo Gallegos. "We are excited to partner with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and the Ad Council for this campaign that communicates to Hispanic parents about the crucial role they play in their children's education."

All of the new PSAs are being distributed to more than 33,000 media outlets nationwide. Per the Ad Council model, the PSAs will run and air in advertising time and space that is donated by the media.

Hispanic Scholarship Fund

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund's (HSF) mission is to strengthen America by advancing the college education of Hispanic Americans. The organization delivers a range of programs to Hispanic families and students through community outreach and education, affordability via scholarships, college retention and career opportunities. HSF supports a successful path for Latinos to attain a college degree - creating an increasingly valuable asset for a stronger, more competitive America in the 21st century.  Celebrating its 35th year, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund has awarded over $300M, resulting in approximately 100,000 scholarships to students in need. Visit: www.HSF.net.

Grupo Gallegos

An independent advertising firm specializing in reaching the U.S. Hispanic market, Grupo Gallegos is located in Long Beach, CA.  In 2008, Grupo Gallegos was recognized as Multicultural Agency of the Year by Ad Age.  Established in 2001 by John Gallegos, Grupo Gallegos has received the D&AD, Clio Awards, FIAP Awards and Cannes Lions. Agency clients include Target, Energizer, Fruit of the Loom, Comcast, The California Milk Processor Board, Girl Scouts USA, and Valvoline.  For more information, visit www.grupogallegos.com.

The Advertising Council

The Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org) is a private, non-profit organization that marshals talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to produce, distribute and promote public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies in issue areas such as improving the quality of life for children, preventive health, education, community well-being, environmental preservation and strengthening families.

SOURCE The Ad Council