Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies' Wonder Park Characters Star in New PSA to Inspire Girls to Pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

NEW YORK, Jan. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ad Council has joined forces with Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies' Wonder Park to inspire young girls to use science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to build, create and change the world. The new PSA (public service advertisement) is an extension of the Ad Council's She Can STEM campaign, which encourages girls to pursue their STEM passions by challenging obsolete stereotypes and surprising girls with how cool, unexpected and inspiring STEM can be.

The PSA follows 12-year-old June as she creates the whimsical, "splendiferous" amusement park, Wonderland, using STEM. The wildly creative June has a maker spirit and excels at engineering, building and math. The PSA assets direct viewers to @SheCanSTEM on Instagram to learn more about the campaign and resources for girls who are interested in STEM.

"If girls can see it, they can be it," said Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. "We're thrilled to be partner with Paramount's Wonder Park to bring the fun, inspiring story of a STEM superstar to girls across the country who may also want to pursue a path in science, technology, engineering and math."

Women make up half of the total college-educated workforce in the U.S., but they only constitute 25 percent of the STEM workforce, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.ⁱ Research shows that many girls lose interest in STEM as early as middle school, and this path continues through high school and college, ultimately leading to an underrepresentation of women in STEM careers.

"Our main character, June, believes that if you can dream it you can build it, which is the embodiment of the Ad Council She Can STEM initiative. We are excited to work with the Ad Council to deliver such an inspirational message to young girls everywhere," said Michelle Hagen, EVP of Worldwide Partnerships at Paramount Pictures.

Wonder Park tells the story of a magnificent amusement park where the imagination of a young girl named June comes alive. The movie features the voices of stars including Mila Kunis, Jennifer Garner, Mathew Broderick, John Oliver, Ken Jeong, Keenan Thompson, Ken Hudson Campbell and Norbert Leo Butz, among others. The voice of June will be played by 15-year-old Brianna Denski, who is passionate about encouraging other girls to pursue their interests in STEM. Wonder Park hits theaters on March 15, 2019.

The PSAs will run in donated time and space, per the Ad Council's model. The assets are available in TV, digital and out-of-home formats nationwide. Previous Ad Council partnerships with Paramount include PSAs featuring characters and footage from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows on behalf of the Ad Council's Bullying Prevention campaign and Selma on behalf of UNCF's Better Futures campaign.

To learn more, join the @SheCanSTEM community on Instagram or visit the She Can STEM website.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom, a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, Paramount Players, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About Wonder Park
Wonder Park tells the story of a magnificent amusement park where the imagination of a wildly creative girl named June comes alive. One magical day, June is running through the woods to find her way home where she discovers an old rollercoaster car and climbs inside. She suddenly finds herself in Wonderland, an amusement park she had created in her mind and put aside. All of her rides and characters are brought to life but are falling into disarray without her. Now, with the help of her fun and lovable park characters, June will have to put the wonder back in Wonderland before it is lost forever.   

About the Ad Council
The Ad Council brings together the most creative minds in advertising and media to address the most worthy causes. Its innovative, pro bono social good campaigns raise awareness. They inspire action. They save lives. To learn more, visit AdCouncil.org, follow the Ad Council's communities on Facebook and Twitter, and view the creative on YouTube.

ⁱ U.S. Department of Commerce: Women in STEM: 2017 Update. Available at: https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/migrated/reports/women-in-stem-2017-update.pdf

SOURCE Ad Council