Public Education Partnerships: Nickelodeon

Talking with Kids (and Parents)

Talking with Kids, a partnership of the Kaiser Family Foundation and Children Now, has teamed up with Nickelodeon, the number-one kids’ entertainment brand, to create Talking with Kids (And Parents) About Tough Issues, a campaign to encourage earlier and more frequent parent-child communication. Launched in March of 2001, the on-going effort includes resources to support talks on a range of “tough issues,” including sex, violence, alcohol and drugs, and respect. Under the partnership, Talking with Kids and Nickelodeon also published a nationally representative survey about family communication, based on interview with of over 1500 parents and their children age 8-15.

New Public Service Announcements for Parents and for Kids

Nickelodeon and Talking with Kids created new :30 second PSAs for parents, which encourage them to talk with their kids about sex and puberty, among other issues. They are tagged with an online resource developed especially for the partnership (www.everythingNick.com), and the campaign’s toll-free hotline (1 800 CHILD 44). They air across Viacom networks, including TNN, CMT, and Nick at Nite.

The partnership also created a series of :60 second spots for kids, which show parents and kids in unscripted settings, talking with each other about “tough issues”; like puberty, teasing and bullying. They are tagged with a new resource for developed just for kids (www.Nick.com/your_world), and air on Nickelodeon and Noggin.

Online Resources

At www.everythingNick.com, parents can find age-appropriate guidance and tips for raising difficult topics with their kids. Material is available for parents of kindergarteners, elementary school-age children, and middle school students. The website also offers resources on media literacy.

At www.Nick.com/your_world, kids can take a “Talk Challenge” encouraging them to turn to their parents for and share experiences in a monitored message board.

Free Parent Guide

In conjunction with the website, Nickelodeon and Talking with Kids developed a free parent guide, which offers information on parent-child communication, and includes a “Talk Contract” that kids and parents can fill out together. It is available online, or free of charge through the campaign’s hotline.

Toll Free Hotline: Parents can call 1 800 CHILD 44 to receive the free guide.

Campaign-Related Materials

• News Release: Bullying, Discrimination, and Sexual Pressures “Big Problems” for Today’s Tweens and Younger Kids; Parents Often Wait for Their Kids to Raise Tough Issues
• PSAs:
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  1. Parent PSA: Birds and Bees (:30)
  2. Parent PSA: Growing Up Fast (:30)
  3. Kids PSA: Victoria – Sex and Puberty (:60)
  4. Kids PSA: Monique – Sex and Puberty (:60)
  5. Kids PSA: Jimmy – Teasing (:60)
  6. Kids PSA: Masha – Discrimination (:60)
  7. Still waiting for Catherine, Jessie, Robert, Talk PSAs
• Talking with Kids and Nickelodeon’s website for parents
• Talking with Kids and Nickelodeon’s website for kids
• Talking with Kids About Tough Issues campaign website
• Nickelodeon Talk Booklet
• Summary of Findings: National Survey of Parents and Kids: Talking with Kids About Tough Issues
• Toplines/Survey: National Survey of Parents and Kids: Talking with Kids About Tough Issues
• Chart Pack: National Survey of Parents and Kids: Talking with Kids About Tough Issues

Awards

• 2002 Telly Award for Birds and Bees PSA
• AEGIS Award for production of Birds and Bees PSA
• 2001 Parent’s Choice Gold Award (from the Parent’s Choice Foundation) for the entire public service campaign
• 2001 National Broadcast Association for Community Affairs (NBACA) Award for the best overall public service campaign