Hartland Students Campaign for the United Way

Calling it an awareness project that also provides real life opportunities for his students, marketing teacher Nathan Oake says he was very impressed with the winner of the annual United Way campaign video.

Three students, senior Bailee Maggert, junior Katie Manley and senior Abigail Militzer from Oak’s first hour class won the honor over 14 other submissions. Their publicity video will now be featured on the Livingston County’s United Way new and improved website featuring the organization and how to help. It will also be used as a campaign tool and shown to local groups and businesses encouraging their support of the United Way.

The video is being kept under wraps until the fall kick-off date where it will make its debut with the launch of the improved website, according to Rosso. No date yet has been decided for the kick-off event.

“They made a very entertaining and uplifting and upbeat commercial,” Oake said. “It’s very well done. I was mightily impressed.” 

Calling it professionally done, Oake explained how his class was broken up into eight groups competing against each other and that each group worked to show a theme of donate, advocate and volunteer. 

“It gets in the heads of teenagers,” Oake said. “So hopefully they remember that and they grow up to be givers and advocate and volunteer their time.”

It also teaches them, according to Oake, to listen and work with clients to be able to provide a service.

"They love it," Oake said. "It's hands-on. ... And it does kind of tie in everything they've learned about marketing, in terms of how to promote and send a message."

Livingston County United Way director Nancy Rosso said the winning submission was decided by a panel of judges from several media sources and that the video met all the criteria.

“It’s just about really capturing the essence of what the organization does and bringing it local and making it come alive,” Rosso said.