InDebtEd

INDEBTED (short for “in-debt education”) is a joint campaign by PGPF and MTV’s campus network, mtvU, to alert college students to the personal and governmental dangers of financial irresponsibility. The program encourages students to take action to secure their futures. The campaign’s aim is to empower young people to protect themselves financially and to work together to advocate government fiscal responsibility in order to change the course of the nation’s future.

The stakes for young people are huge. Rising debts at home and in Washington mean that today’s college students may face a lower standard of living. Increasing numbers of graduates bear the burden of hefty student loans with no relief in sight. The government’s growing promises for health care and retirement will squeeze out funding for programs like education and student aid and add substantial tax increases in order to pay for these entitlements. The combination may deter students from obtaining quality educations and ultimately undermine the country’s global competitiveness.

To reach and mobilize students, the INDEBTED campaign utilizes a multi-faceted approach—on air, on-line and on the ground. Through broadcast and cable networks, the program is distributed to more than 750 college campuses and 700 college communities, reaching upwards of 9 million college students. Through programming developed jointly by PGPF and mtvU, and based on college students’ own ideas, INDEBTED engages an audience that is difficult to reach through mainstream media. An example is a student competition in 2009 to create a video game in support of INDEBTED’s mission. The winning concept was developed into “Debtski”, a game that requires players to navigate through financial challenges in order to score points. Debtski can be played at http://www.debtski.com.

For more information on the INDEBTED campaign, go to www.indebted.com.