Mount Union Area High School student Karsyn Shields works on the Penn Highlands Reel PA project, which challenges students to promote their communities as potential filming locations for movies and television shows.
By STATON HUNTER | Journalism Student, Mount Union Area Senior High School
Mount Union, Pa. — Mount Union Area High School students are participating in the Reel PA Project, sponsored by the Penn Highlands Marketing AAS degree program. The project challenges students to promote their communities as potential filming locations for movies and television shows.
Marjorie Biddle, adviser for the project, originally learned about the opportunity in April through Penn Highlands’ marketing program. The project was designed for students at high schools offering Penn Highlands dual enrollment courses. Students were tasked with researching their school districts, identifying potential filming locations, and creating pitches to convince film and television crews to visit their communities.
Mark Parfitt, Penn Highlands’ Marketing Program Coordinator, explained the purpose of the project in his original email outlining the competition. “We chose this project because Pennsylvania’s film and television industry continues to grow, supported by the state’s annual $100 million Film Tax Program that attracts film and TV productions to the commonwealth. Communities of all sizes, not just major cities, have real opportunities to be part of the entertainment industry,” Parfitt said.
Beyond promoting Pennsylvania communities, Parfitt believes the project will provide students with a valuable learning experience. “We are excited about the potential,” Parfitt added, describing the opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience.
Students in Biddle’s College Principles of Marketing class will be spearheading the project for Mount Union. Karsyn Shields and Staton Hunter will oversee the coordination, planning, and management of the project. Students involved in FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and Biddle’s Desktop Publishing class will also participate in various ways, including writing scripts, taking photographs, and acting.
Biddle hopes the project will help students develop marketing skills while learning more about their community. “It is an exciting opportunity for our students to learn about marketing and the appreciation of Mount Union as a potential location for film and television. I hope for my students to learn the valuable history of the area and surrounding geographies with potential for growth,” Biddle said.
As students continue working on the project, Biddle has arranged a meeting with representatives from Juniata College to seek professional advice and guidance. The meeting was arranged with the help of Dr. Peruso, a Professor of Accounting, Business, and Economics at Juniata.
Tracy Kretz, Juniata’s Executive Director of Marketing and Brand Design, has agreed to meet with the students. She will be joined by Li Shen, an Associate Professor of Marketing, and Dr. Sarah Worley, a Professor of Communication and Chair of the Communication Department. Their involvement will give students the chance to gain new perspectives as they continue to work on the project.
This article was published as part of Ms. Dimoff’s Journalism class at Mount Union Area Senior High School.
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