Press Releases

November 30, 2007
Napa New Technology H.S. Students Win
MLK, Jr. Scholarship & PSA Competition!

Stanford University, Stanford, CA: This past October, the Liberation Curriculum department of the Martin Luther King, Jr.Research and Education Institute at Stanford University partnered with All Stars Helping Kids (all-star athlete- founded service organization) in sponsoring a competition for San Francisco Bay Area high school students that will graduate in 2008 and 2009. Students were invited to develop and submit a script for a public service announcement regarding Martin Luther King, Jr.'s mission and message of of peace through social justice.

Congratulations go to Napa New Tech's Alyssa Martinez and Stephanie Hernandez who worked as a team and were announced as the winners; congratulations also go to Gia Peralta, who was one of the three finalists. All three are students in Rebecca Pollack and Steven Federico's American Studies - English 11 class.

"We decided to use a quote that Martin Luther King re-stated when he was at a High School speaking to youth about their life. ...We wanted to inspire and encourage the youth, rather than stating all the issues we face," said Alyssa Martinez. "We wanted to use this as a tool to enlighten the situation and give hope," she added.

The King Institute hosted a dinner for the finalists of the 2nd annual "Keeping King's Legacy Alive" PSA on October 29, 2007. "The day of the dinner we were nervous, but at the same time we were so used to talking to people and expressing what we felt because of the New Tech environment," said Stephanie Hernandez. " ...they all seemed to be very impressed...alot of the time we do have to talk to people face-to-face and be able to articulate well," she continued.

Alyssa and Stephanie will produce their PSA under the mentorship of professional film producers during the month of November. "I am really excited about the filming and production. I hope that by this PSA, we will at least touch one person's life...." Alyssa said.

Alyssa and Stephanie's PSA broadcast will be aired on Yahoo! on Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, January 21, 2008.

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New Technology Foundation, www.newtechfoundation.org, is a school development organization that supports the start-up and implementation of 21st century high schools based on the Napa New Technology High School Model.  The National Network of New Technology High School Network currently comprises (2007) 35 schools across the county, including 9 in North Carolina, 3 in Indiana, 3 in Texas, 4 in Los Angeles, 7 in Northern California, 3 in Greater New Orleans, 3 in Oregon, and 1 each in Colorado, Illinois, and New York State. For more information, visit the website, or phone (707) 253-6951.

Contact:
Susan Schilling, CEO | (707) 253-4287