Smithtown Fifth-Graders Create Two of NY's Best PSAs

Students in Laura McCoy and Kellylynn Santelli’s fifth-grade combined class at Accompsett Elementary School in Smithtown are being honored for spreading awareness about the importance of human rights.

The New York State United Teachers and Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights recently announced the winners of the second annual Speak Truth To Power “Everyone Has Rights” Public Service Announcement contest. This year’s winners included 20 student entries from across New York State, with the AES class receiving two of the 20 awards for two PSAs they created, “What Are Human Rights?” and “It Doesn’t Matter If...”

“It caught our attention because the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is part of Smithtown’s fifth-grade ELA curriculum focusing on human rights,” said McCoy, who along with Santelli gave the students an overview of the UDHR and tied lessons into their readings of the book “Esperanza Rising” about a young Mexican girl overcoming adversities. “The contest seemed a perfect match for our class. Being so familiar with the text in the book, the conversations the students had were very natural.”

As a two-teacher classroom, they decided to submit two entries. They recruited the help of parent Joanne Romanelli, who recorded and edited the two 90-minute PSA videos. To their surprise, both videos were featured as winners in the statewide contest. The class decided to donate a portion of their prize money to the Thirst Project for the construction of a well in Africa for family access to safe, clean drinking water. The remainder will be used toward classroom supplies and a small class party.

You can view “What Are Human Rights?” and “It Doesn’t Matter If...” at www.everyonehasrights.com.

Photo courtesy of the Smithtown Central School District: Students in Laura McCoy (standing second from right) and Kellylynn Santelli’s (standing far right) fifth-grade combined class at Smithtown’s Accompsett Elementary School are being honored for spreading awareness about the importance of human rights through two award-winning PSAs that were recognized in a statewide competition.