(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Governor Mitch Daniels, Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed, Indiana Commission for Higher Education member Dennis Bland and members of Indiana's Education Roundtable joined Martha Lamkin, president and CEO, Lumina Foundation for Education, today to kick-off a new statewide public service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to help low-income students and those from first-generation college families pursue higher education.

"It is sadly ironic to be a state with so few college graduates, when we are blessed with such a vibrant network of colleges and universities, public and private. The states that achieve economic leadership in this century will be those that are home to centers of true excellence in higher education, and which have citizens who take full advantage of the opportunities they provide," said Governor Mitch Daniels.

Led by Learn More Indiana, the state's college and career connection, KnowHow2GoIndiana is part of a national effort to raise awareness among low-income students about the basic steps they need to take now to turn college dreams into reality. Research shows that though 75 percent of students from high-income families complete college by age 24, only 9 percent of students from low-income families complete college by that age.

"Indiana is sending more high school graduates on to higher education today than ever before, but we have a number of first-generation college students - particularly those from low-income families - who need extra help to get there," said Dr. Reed. "A college education has never been more important, and we cannot afford to leave another generation of Hoosiers behind."

Research conducted for the KnowHow2GoIndiana campaign showed that low-income and first-generation students have high aspirations for college, but often lack clear information on what specific steps they need to take. Campaign research also showed that parents, especially those in low-income households, expect students to take the lead in pursuing college.

"This campaign is critical now because America has slipped over the past two decades in comparison to other countries in the proportion of young people who are earning college degrees," said Martha Lamkin. "Even more important, the attainment gap between income groups is widening - in Indiana and across the country -- at the same time that low-income students constitute a growing share of the college-age population. Left unaddressed, the problem will sell Indiana and America short."

"We must reach out to low-income students, so they can earn better opportunities, and so that Indiana and America will have the educated population to sustain its economic and social vitality."

Sponsored nationally by Lumina, the Ad Council and the American Council on Education, the KnowHow2GOIndiana campaign primarily targets low-income students in grades 8 to 10 by focusing on four creative messages designed to help young people understand the steps necessary to go to college: "Be a Pain," "Push Yourself," "Find the Right Fit" and "Put Your Hands on Some Cash." The two-year campaign features television and radio PSAs, outdoor and print advertising and an interactive Web site at www.KnowHow2GoIndiana.org. In Indiana, Learn More Indiana will extend the outreach efforts with direct mail and alliance building with community-based organizations.

"We know that many of our students want to pursue a college education, but they just don't know where to turn for help" said Dennis Bland, member of the Indiana Commission for Education. "The KnowHow2GoIndiana campaign will give our youth the valuable help and encouragement they need but often lack."

The KnowHow2GoIndiana campaign is part of series of efforts led by Learn More Indiana, a strategic statewide communications partnership designed to support raising the educational attainment of Hoosiers. As the state's college and career connection, Learn More Indiana provides parents, students, adult learners and communities with the information needed to support learning from pre-Kindergarten through college completion. Learn More Indiana offers a variety of resources including easy-to-read publications, an interactive Web site (www.learnmoreindiana.org) and a toll-free Helpline (1-800-992-0276).

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CONTACTS:

Cheryl Orr, Indiana's Education Roundtable
(317) 464-4400 x19
cherylo@che.state.in.us

Mike Runestad, Learn More Indiana
(317) 464-4400 x38
miker@learnmore.org

Dollyne Sherman, Lumina Foundation
(317) 951-5493
dsherman@luminafoundation.org

Learn More Indiana is a statewide communication effort to raise the educational attainment of Hoosiers made possible through a partnership of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, and the State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana, with additional support from USA Funds, Inc. and Lumina Foundation for Education. Students and parents can visit the Learn More Web site (www.learnmoreindiana.org) or call the toll-free Helpline (1-800-992-0276) to ask questions or request information about getting to and preparing for college.

Lumina Foundation for Education (www.luminafoundation.org), an Indianapolis-based, private, independent foundation, strives to help people achieve their potential by expanding access and success in education beyond high school. Through grants for research, innovation, communication and evaluation, as well as policy education and leadership development, Lumina Foundation addresses issues that affect access and educational attainment among all students, particularly underserved student groups, including adult learners. The Foundation bases its mission on the belief that postsecondary education remains one of the most beneficial investments that individuals can make in themselves and that society can make in its people.

American Council on Education (www.acenet.edu), is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents, and more than 200 related associations, nationwide. It seeks to provide leadership and a unifying voice on key higher education issues and influence public policy through advocacy, research, and program initiatives.

The Ad Council (www.adcouncil.org) is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has effected, and continues to affect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action and saving lives.