“We printed 15 million names on a roll call sheet–one name illustrative of every chronically absent student in the U.S.”
So begins “Being Present Matters,” a new public service campaign from Communities In Schools® (CIS®), the national organization that has worked for the past 47 years to ensure all K-12 students, regardless of their ability, zip code or socioeconomic background, have access to the resources they need to realize their full potential in school and beyond.
In this latest PSA created by agency M&C Saatchi SS+K, young women and men take attendance in empty schools across the country while a larger-than-life, six-foot-tall “Longest Roll” etched with the names of 15 million absentee students barrels down a vacant school hallway and campus. It represents the millions of children whose lives are affected by not showing up to school, which was exacerbated by the global pandemic in 2020. Also addressed in the PSA–directed by Dorothy Allen-Pickard via production house Sweet Group–are the obstacles that lead to their lack of attendance: “Transportation absent; WiFi absent; childcare for siblings absent; housing absent, healthcare absent; mental health support and anti-bullying absent.”
The solution for these 15 million kids at risk of being left behind? Being present matters for both students and adults. Caring adults can make a huge difference in a student’s life. That’s why CIS site coordinators are trained to be the ultimate caring connectors. “With chronic absenteeism growing in America, the work Communities In Schools does is more important than ever,” said Stevie Archer, chief creative officer, M&C Saatchi SS+K. “They not only make it easier for kids to show up, but help 99 percent of them graduate. We were inspired to bring that story to life with a huge, 15-million-name roll call. It helps people understand the scale of the issue, with real CIS site coordinators showing how they help fight that massive problem.”
