JAMZ plans to partner with Youngstown schools

By Harold Gwin

Concerts at city schools could motivate students to perform better academically.

YOUNGSTOWN — JAMZ 101.9 radio wants to form a partnership with Youngstown city schools to encourage children to apply themselves in school and their parents to support their children’s studies at home.

The radio station can bring national recording artists to visit schools to give pep talks on the importance of education, bring in a national artist for mini-performances at top performing schools and institute student of the week, student of the month and school of the month recognition, said Skip Bednarczyk, general manager of The Y-Town Radio Stations.

He said JAMZ decided to get involved in the city education system after learning about the school district’s latest ranking on its state-issued report card. Ohio ranked Youngstown in academic emergency, the lowest report card rating, for the 2008-09 school year.

“We are a radio station that, I think, has a certain responsibility to the community we serve,” Bednarczyk said, explaining why the station is making the offer.

“A majority of the kids are African American (69 percent), and we have incredible reach with the African American market,” he said, pointing out that recent radio rating estimates show that JAMZ 101.9 has “an 88.3 percent weekly reach with African-American adults aged 25-54.” That group represents the mothers, fathers and some grandparents of the children in the city schools, he said.

Bednarczyk presented the station’s proposal to Superintendent Wendy Webb Thursday, saying that he thought the meeting went “exceptionally well.”

Webb said that it might not be possible to implement all of the JAMZ proposal. That’s something that will have to be worked through, she said, adding that she hasn’t had an opportunity yet to brief the school board on the proposal.

The plan outlined by the station would require some investment, she said.

Bednarczyk acknowledged that the station is asking the school district to pick up the weekly tab of $625 for 18, 30-second weekly “imaging announcements” to promote the district’s choice of focus. The station would like a nine- or 12-month commitment, he said.

However, if the district can’t provide that funding, JAMZ is prepared to reach out to the business community to help find sponsors, he said.

The campaign would be built around Charles “Lucky” Penny, an afternoon personality on JAMZ, Bednarczyk said. Lucky Penny is Youngstown born and reared and “has the area’s highest name recognition of any area African-American besides Mayor (Jay) Williams,” he said, adding that Penny is an excellent role model for school children.

The effort won’t work unless the kids want to learn and their parents are behind them, Bednarczyk said.

Toward that end, the station is willing to rent billboard space around town to promote Lucky Penny’s support in rallying students and parents to believe in the school system.

It can arrange for recording artist announcements promoting the schools, and those artists on promotional tours through Youngstown can be taken to a school that has the best attendance to give a pep talk on the importance of education. The school board can have its own one-hour radio program on WASN to highlight students, faculty, district achievements and more.

Further, the superintendent can give multiple and frequent 20-second messages during key weeks to encourage students to attend school or perform well academically.

The station is prepared to recognize a student of the week, student of the month and school of the month, and the school with the best semester GPA improvement could win a mini-performance by a national recording artist.

Finally, Lucky Penny can make one weekly visit to elementary schools to meet with children to show encouragement and support such as holding a pizza party with a fifth grade class, a pivotal grade for students.

Bednarczyk said JAMZ is open to other suggestions and the district and station can brainstorm on additional methods of implementing the program.

The station is ready to proceed, if the school board approves the idea, he said.

gwin@vindy.com