High‑school interns present PSAs on early childhood development, teen mental health and mentoring to Scott County board

Public Affairs coordinator Lisa Coner introduced four CAPS interns at the April 7 Scott County Board meeting. The interns—identified in the presentation as Alejandra, Brin, Henry and Henri—showcased three public service announcements developed during an eight‑week internship focused on child and teen wellness and mentoring.

The early‑childhood PSA emphasized caregiver engagement and literacy resources, citing the presentation text that “80% of a child’s brain development occurs from birth to age three and 90% occurs by age 5,” and promoted Scott County Public Libraries’ services, mobile library and literacy classes. The teen mental‑health PSA sought to normalize mental‑health struggles among young people and urged peer check‑ins; presenters noted statistics in the video text that “42% of young people experience persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” and that one in seven teenagers experience a serious mental‑health crisis. The mentoring PSA framed mentoring as widely accessible and used scenes such as basketball to illustrate how simple shared activities can build connections.

Interns explained their production process—research and interviews with library and mental‑health professionals, scriptwriting, filming logistics, permissions for bystanders, and editing—and reflected on skills learned including videography, interviewing, scripting and project planning. Commissioners commended the interns’ professionalism; staff noted a mini showcase will be set up in the hallway for half an hour before the next board meeting so commissioners and staff can view the finished PSAs.

Next steps: Public Affairs will coordinate the hallway showcase and the county’s mental‑health advisory council was invited to review the teen mental‑health PSA for potential outreach use.