Detroit Native Big Sean to Serve as Celebrity Principal for the Day in Recognition of Get Schooled Detroit Attendance Challenge Winner, Bates Academy

Detroit Native Big Sean to Serve as Celebrity Principal for the Day in Recognition of Get Schooled Detroit Attendance Challenge Winner, Bates Academy

Thousands of students from 37 Detroit middle and high schools competed in the challenge, a partnership of Viacom, Get Schooled and Detroit Public Schools

MTV's Sway and DJ Fingers of FM 98 WJLB to join Big Sean to host an all-school assembly celebrating the schools

DETROIT, June 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, June 12 from 9 until 11 a.m., recording artist and Detroit native, Big Sean will return to his hometown to act as "Principal for the Day" at Bates Academy (Bates), an Excellent Schools Detroit "Top K-8 Recommended School." Competing against thousands of students from 37 Detroit Public Schools' (DPS) middle and high schools, Bates won the Get Schooled Detroit Attendance Challenge this spring. More than half of all participating schools posted attendance increases during the challenge. Joining the Bates students will be eighth graders from Durfee Elementary-Middle School (Durfee), who saw their attendance jump a district high of 11 percent through their participation in the Challenge. Shade 45 radio host Sway will serve as host and emcee of the day's events along with local radio personality, DJ Fingers, of FM 98 WJLB.

In an effort to combat chronic absenteeism across the district, DPS partnered with Get Schooled and its founding partner, Viacom, through the company's Viacommunity social responsibility umbrella, to offer the Detroit Attendance Challenge in support of the district's "On Time. All Day. Every Day." Campaign. The Attendance Campaign falls under the district's five-year Strategic Plan to initiate new methods to better serve the needs of students and families. The district implemented a new Attendance Policy in the fall of 2013 to provide a standardized and consistent district-wide policy for better enforcement and increase accountability among students, parents, staff and support agencies.

The Get Schooled Attendance Challenge launched in September and ran through the school year. To participate and compete for points and prizes, schools encouraged their students to show up for school every day and check-in to school daily on GetSchooled.com.

"The correlation between success in life and daily attendance in school is inarguable," said Big Sean. "As a former DPS student, I could not be more proud of the district for taking the issue of attendance seriously, and of Bates Academy for its awesome achievement. I'm excited to have the chance to celebrate the students' commitment to showing up for school, all day, every day."

In recognition of the role youth leadership played in affecting change on school campuses during the Challenge, Get Schooled and Viacom have founded the Get Schooled Student Leadership Corps in partnership with Detroit-based nonprofit, the Coleman A. Young Foundation (CAYF). At the recommendation of The Skillman Foundation, Get Schooled tapped the longstanding CAYF to serve as the implementation partner for the new initiative. As principal for the day, Big Sean will help launch the Corps' inaugural class of 30 students from across DPS. He will join Sway, Mike Grams, metro Detroit native and Chief Operating Officer of Taco Bell, and Get Schooled Executive Director, Marie Groark, along with senior leadership from DPS in a conversation about leadership with the inaugural class of the Get Schooled Leadership Corps.

"Detroit students have been working hard all year to boost their attendance," said Marie Groark, Executive Director of Get Schooled. "We are excited Big Sean is able to recognize their hard work and determination, and even more thrilled that he will be able to join us for the announcement of our first-ever student leadership corps, right here in Detroit."

Big Sean attended the Detroit Waldorf School, a school of art, from kindergarten to eighth grade. He later attended and graduated from Cass Technical High School. The chart-topping artist was first signed to Kanye West's music label GOOD in 2007 and then to Island Def Jam in 2008. Following the release of the trilogy of mixtapes for which he was initially recognized, Def Jam dropped the artist's hit album, Finally Famous in July of 2011, followed by the award-winning mixtape Detroit in September 2012 and Hall of Fame, which debuted at number three in the Billboard 200, in August of 2013.

The Challenge, which is made possible by a partnership between Get Schooled, Viacom and DPS, took place over three rounds of competition this spring. More than half of all DPS middle and high schools were active and engaged in the campaign by checking into school every day on the Get Schooled website, and participating in online discussions about school involvement, career aspirations and study tips. The final round of the competition included the prize of a visit from Big Sean.

"I am beyond pleased by the hard work and dedication our students have demonstrated throughout the course of this campaign," said Dr. Cleo M. Moody, principal at Bates Academy. "Get Schooled has done a remarkable job of making the very important issue of attendance relevant to students by connecting it to popular culture. Seeing our kids come together in pursuit of a common goal that resulted in improved attendance and an increased level of engagement, was truly rewarding."

Schools involved in the Get Schooled Detroit Attendance Challenge included: Detroit International Academy, Durfee Elementary-Middle School, Sampson-Webber leadership Academy, Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior High School, Foreign Language Immersion & Cultural Studies School, Gompers Elementary-Middle School, Randolph Career and Technical Center, A.L. Holmes Elementary-Middle School, Burton International Academy, Communication and Media Arts High School, Detroit Collegiate Prep at Northwestern, East English Village Preparatory Academy, Clippert Academy, Dixon Educational Learning Academy, Fisher Magnet Upper Academy, Golightly Education Center & Early Learning Neighborhood Center, Ann Arbor Trail Magnet Elementary-Middle School, Cass Technical High School, Catherine C. Blackwell Institute, Jerry L. White Center High School, Medicine and Community Health Academy at Cody, Osborn Academy of Mathematics, Science and Technology, Renaissance High School, Academy of the Americas, Amelia Earhart Elementary-Middle School, Carver S.T.E.M. Academy, Clark Preparatory Academy, Cody Academy of Public Leadership, Duke Ellington Conservatory of Music & Art at Beckham Academy, Golightly Career and Technical Center, Henderson Academy, Noble Elementary-Middle School, Paul Robeson, Malcolm X African Centered Academy, Priest Elementary-Middle School, Pulaski Elementary-Middle School and West Side Academy Alt. Ed.

For more details on the Get Schooled campaign, visit www.getschooled.com. To learn more about the new DPS Attendance Policy, visit www.detroitk12.org/attendance

About Viacom

Viacom is home to premier global media brands that create compelling television programs, motion pictures, short-form video, apps, games, consumer products, social media and other entertainment content for audiences in more than 160 countries and territories. Viacom's media networks, including MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, BET, CENTRIC, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick at Nite, Comedy Central, TV Land, SPIKE, Tr3s, Paramount Channel and VIVA, reach approximately 700 million households worldwide. Paramount Pictures, America's oldest film studio, is a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.

For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following Viacom's blog at blog.viacom.com and Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/Viacom.

About Get Schooled

Get Schooled is a non-profit organization that directly engages and motivates students to graduate from high school and succeed in college. Get Schooled is the premiere education brand for young people - linking students with high quality, cutting edge resources and tools they need to succeed. Get Schooled has developed a track record of success because it engages with young Americans using the media, technology and popular culture that is an integral part of their lives. Get Schooled's work is boosted by partners like Viacom, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Google. All of our top schools should stay tuned on GetSchooled.com and DetroitK12.org to learn more about the celebration event and Big Sean's visit!

About Detroit Public Schools
Detroit Public Schools is creating Neighborhood-Centered, Quality Schools at 97 campuses with a mission to provide a comprehensive educational experience that is high-quality, challenging and inspires all students to make a positive contribution to society. DPS offers a wide variety of educational advantages to students and parents including Individualized Learning Maps for all students. New this year, arts/music and sports leagues for boys and girls are being offered at every elementary/middle school. Prekindergarten offerings have been expanded to all qualified 4-year-olds in the city. Enrollment in early childhood education programs stands at more 3,000 district-wide. Twenty-one schools are now open as Community Schools, offering extended hours and services. Students in grades 8-12 enjoy take-home Netbooks and students in grades 6 and up have access to Netbooks in school. An outstanding Fine Arts program with instrumental music, vocal music and dance is also offered. Ongoing advantages include eight parent resource centers, Parent University and additional parenting programs, enhanced safety initiatives, a district-wide Customer Service focus, nine Detroit Rising College Preparatory Schools and DPS-authorized charter schools led by educators with proven track records of raising achievement. In 2013, DPS graduates earned more than $146 million in grants and scholarships. To learn more about Detroit Public Schools, visit www.detroitk12.org or call 313-240-4DPS.

Contacts:


Katy Cockrel, 313-550-4483


Katherine@ignitionmediagroup.com

Kaniqua Daniel-Welch, 313-421-9203
kaniqua.daniel@detroitk12.org

SOURCE Get Schooled; Viacom

Get Schooled; Viacom

Web Site: http://www.viacom.com


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