Cellular South Fast-Forwards Its Gameplan Education Initiative
DVD Release Expands Program to High School Classrooms Throughout Mississippi
Jackson, MS - (February 4, 2008) – Cellular South, the nation's leader in m-commerce solutions, today announced the next chapter of its groundbreaking Cellular South Gameplan education program, which aims to help Mississippi high school student-athletes qualify for college, with the release of the Cellular South Gameplan DVD to all high schools in Mississippi.
Building on Cellular South Gameplan's successful introduction in January 2007, the wireless provider is releasing a DVD of the introductory Gameplan seminar in an effort to reach as many of the more than 90,000 high school student-athletes across the state as possible. The DVD seminar will enable all Mississippi students to get the information they need on college entrance requirements at any time. In addition, the video is available online at www.cellularsouthgameplan.com/workshops.html.
Working with its partners – the Mississippi Department of Education and the Mississippi High School Activities Association – Cellular South is expanding the Gameplan DVD program to every student interested in participating across the state. "The Cellular South Gameplan DVD is another tool that coaches, teachers and parents can use to help educate student athletes on the academic requirements they need to fulfill to participate in collegiate athletics," said Orien Watson, sports marketing manager for Cellular South. "As the program continues to grow, the goal remains the same: prepare every Mississippi student-athlete for taking the next step, both in their sports career and in their education, by qualifying for college," Watson added.
The Cellular South Gameplan DVD, in tandem with the previously established in-school workshops and one-on-one counseling sessions, will educate student athletes on the 16 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) core course requirements, standards for determining eligibility and how to prepare for the ACT and SAT, the two national college admission and placement examinations.
"Mississippi loses millions of dollars each year because too few of our high school students graduate and go on to college," said Dr. Hank Bounds, Mississippi State Superintendent of Education. "Cellular South's Gameplan is not only educating high school student-athletes about the NCAA requirements, but also establishing a solid foundation for developing personal strength and character by encouraging students to continue their education."
Thus far, the Cellular South Gameplan has helped more than 3,000 student athletes at 32 schools through January 2008. The workshops include a specially designed curriculum that provides students with information on the necessary course and grade point average (GPA) requirements needed to meet NCAA standards, with follow-up counseling sessions available for additional support.
"If you look at the way this program continues to expand – through workshops, individual tutoring and now an interactive DVD – it's obvious that the Cellular South Gameplan is providing opportunities for everyone," said Dr. Ennis Proctor, executive director of the MHSAA. "Overall, the goal is to get more Mississippi students to attend college because it will benefit the state in the long run, and this program is a great motivating tool for all students to know what it takes to get into college."
For more information about the Cellular South Gameplan, call (601) 974-7706 or visit www.cellularsouthgameplan.com or www.cellularsouth.com.
About Cellular South
With a nationwide wireless voice and data network, Cellular South is committed to providing plans, products, applications that allow consumers to rely on wireless service in every way. Cellular South is a wireless carrier leader in m-commerce technology availability and adoption with its next-generation mobile payment products, such as Obopay, Cellfire mobile coupons and mobile ticketing. For more information, visit www.cellularsouth.com.
About MHSAA
The Mississippi High School Activities Association is a non-profit, nondiscriminatory association operated by the state’s secondary schools. The Association is responsible for academic and athletic competition among the 530,000 students in the state’s public and private schools, including debate, drama, speech, writing, music and 14 different types of sports. The MHSAA also is responsible for 4,000 officials and referees, who are registered and certified through association clinics. For more information, visit www.misshsaa.com.
About Mississippi Department of Education
The Mississippi Department of Education is the state agency charged with oversight of all public K-12 schools in Mississippi, which includes over 1,000 schools in 152 districts, enrolling over 490,000 students. For more information, visit www.mde.k12.ms.us.
