June 7, 2011

A pair of El Diamante High School students won the top prize in a Step Up public service announcement contest.

El Diamante High School students Josh Adams and Jacob Guerrero were among eight groups of students who submitted 30-second Step Up-themed public service announcements for the Slick Rock Film Festival, the San Joaquin Valley’s premier student film competition.

District Three Supervisor Phil Cox said the Board of Supervisors and the Tulare County Film Commission partnered with the Slick Rock Film Festival in an effort to promote the Step Up anti-gang program among high-school aged youth. Entries were submitted by students from Fresno, Madera, and Tulare counties.

“The fact that students from across county lines submitted entries for an anti-gang category tells me the gang issue is a priority for San Joaquin Valley youth,” Supervisor Cox said. “I’m proud of all the students who submitted an entry.”

The Step Up public service announcements will be used as programming on Tulare County’s fleet of LOOP Buses and posted on www.stepuptc.com.

Adams and Guerrero earned a high-definition flip video camera and their winning entry was featured on KMPH during primetime in May. The winning submission featured Burton Middle School students who are participating in a Step Up Service Learning Grant Program project which includes identifying graffiti and painting over it.