NEWS RELEASE

September 2, 2020

Media Contact: Marc Siegel

We Are Here With You

ODE airs public service announcements welcoming students back to school and reminding students and families of the network of educators in place to support them.

(Salem, Ore.) – Your state and your school districts support you and have services in place to help you.

That was the core message broadcast to students and families today as Oregon Department of Education (ODE) launched a pair of 30 second public service announcements (PSA) to remind students that even if they are starting the school year with distance learning, their school support systems are still accessible to them.

“Schools are an important resource for families and we want to make sure our students and families know that although the school year may be starting with distance learning, their school’s resources are still available to them,” said ODE Deputy Director Carmen Xiomara Urbina. “Whether it’s school meals, or physical or mental health services, their schools will still be there for them. The learning conditions may be different, but the commitment to meeting the needs of our students hasn’t changed.”

Urbina and Oregon Department of Education Director Colt Gill are featured in the PSAs that can be found on the ODE website. One announcement focuses on supporting students as they rise to the challenge of learning during this time and the other announcement touches on the network of education professionals devoted to serving Oregon’s students. Both are broadcast in English and Spanish with Gill featured in the English versions and Urbina featured in the Spanish versions.

The announcements were produced with KATU in Portland and will air on KATU and NATU (MeTV) in English and Univision Portland in Spanish, starting this morning through the end of October. The announcements will also reach students and families statewide through online promotion.

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