AUGUSTA – The Secretary of State’s Office has joined with schools and community television stations across Maine to launch the first-ever Youth Voting Media Project.

The initiative will encourage students in middle and high schools to develop, film and present 30-second public service announcements about the importance of voting and civic participation. A second part of the project will assist students in preparing and televising longer-format programming focused on issues, candidates and the election process.

The project also will encourage learning in key areas of curriculum, including social studies, technology, language arts and journalism as well as visual and performing arts. This initiative is designed to be consistent with the goals and objectives of Maine’s Learning Results.

Each student participant will be recognized for taking part in this unique project. A showcase of PSAs will be held in Augusta next October. Selected PSAs will be made available to television stations throughout the state for broadcast before the November general election.

Additional information about the project, along with curriculum and registration materials, is available online at www.maine.gov/sos, or by calling the Secretary of State’s Office in Augusta at 626-8406.