The Franki Moscato Foundation is introducing a contest to inspire students to contribute to the creation of a compelling suicide prevention Public Service Announcement.
With adult involvement (recommended), students are invited to create a story and record a video that will be used to produce a 60-second televised Public Service Announcement (PSA) aimed at discouraging teen suicide in Wisconsin.
The winning story will be formally scripted, professionally produced, and broadcast on WBAY-TV and across other Wisconsin television and radio broadcasting networks. The winning team members will be considered for participation in the actual recorded production as actors and extras, depending on the director’s opinion of the story’s requirements.
Official Rules:
- Open to any public, private, or home-schooled student(s) in 6th- 12th grade. You must currently live within the state of Wisconsin.
- Only one story/video is allowed per student/team.
- Story ideas must be submitted as a video along with the associated script. The length of the video can exceed 60 seconds to include any verbal descriptions about the story elements. Examples: “The story takes place outside in the park, but we filmed it in the gym; imagine that you see a whole classroom of kids in the background; the stuffed bear is supposed to be a real dog in the kitchen scene.”
- Story ideas can be fun or serious, real or animated. Students may work individually or in teams. Teacher and/or adult participation is recommended but not required.
- Stories must be original ideas/creations.
- The winning story author(s) will relinquish ownership of their work and transfer all rights as property of the Franki Moscato Foundation LLC for production use.
- Stories are due to be submitted before NOVEMBER 1st, 2025, to [email protected].
- One first-place winner and one runner-up winner will be selected and publicly announced.
Stories will be rated by a panel of judges and scored based on:
- Ability to destigmatize, deglamorize, and discourage teen suicide.
- Creativity and originality.
- Effectiveness of “the message.”
- Believability of the plot.
Story ideas:
- Talking with you really helped me.
- I began to notice signs that something wasn’t right.
- She told so many people, but nobody told an adult.
- How to be a good listener.
- I’m going to make sure that we get through this together.
- To my older self… (telling yourself how to take care of your mental health).
- Suicide is preventable.
- I can always trust my teacher to help me.
- How to help a friend through a suicidal crisis.
Here are two 60-second examples of Public Service Announcements: