Alleyoop Joins Get Schooled and Celebrity Ambassadors Ciara and Chris Pine to Motivate Attendance

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - Oct 22, 2012) - Today Alleyoop joins Get Schooled's Fall Attendance Challenge, featuring Get Schooled Celebrity Ambassadors like Ciara and Chris Pine to help motivate teens from 225 schools around the nation as they power through their first semester of the year.

It's unfortunate, but up to 7.5 million teens miss a month of school each year, putting them at greater risk to drop out, according to a study by Johns Hopkins University. That's why Get Schooled's Fall Attendance Challenge starts where the struggles begin for teens, getting out of bed in the morning!

The multi-week challenge improves attendance rates by using technology and pop-culture to connect with teens and bring them ways to engage with their learning that are first and foremost, fun. The challenge uses digital games and scavenger hunts, and yes, even morning wakeup calls from teens' favorite celebrities, like reggae dance-hall artist Sean Paul and rapper Tyga. The more participation a school generates, the more points they earn. One lucky school will be crowned the champion, and receive a visit from an A-list celebrity (Big Sean, Nicki Minaj and Ne-Yo have been previous celebrity ambassadors).

Schools also earn points when teens venture out of the traditional classroom. As part of a scavenger hunt mission, teens who visit a select list of well-respected education sites, including Alleyoop.com, and complete a task on those sites, earn points for their school and for themselves! Students find great resources during the 'hunt' and they further their school's chance of rising to the top in the national competition.

"A huge part of the battle for success in high school is simply showing up," said Alleyoop's president, Patrick Supanc. "But once teens are in the door, we need to help them make connections to valuable educational resources that will guide them through their high school careers and become truly ready for the rigors of higher education."

"As many as 40 percent of high school students miss a month or more of school each year," said Get Schooled Executive Director, Marie Groark. "That's a huge problem that affects graduation rates, the ability to earn a college degree, and ultimately a child's life. At Get Schooled we know that by motivating our teens the right way, we can change this statistic and improve the lives of our youth."

Like any good competition, Get Schooled will be providing teens with incentives as they compete in the Fall Attendance Challenge. In addition to being connected to resources like Alleyoop, teens will hear loudspeaker shoutouts from the likes of Nicki Minaj and Tyra Banks, be eligible for backpacks full of swag and digital badges, earn a private movie screening for the whole school, and potentially receive a celebrity principal for the day!

For more information on Get Schooled's Fall Attendance Challenge, visit Get Schooled, or check it out on Twitter @GetSchooled.

About Get Schooled
Get Schooled is a non-profit organization that directly engages and motivates students to graduate from high school and succeed in college. Get Schooled is the premiere education brand for young people -- linking students with high quality, cutting edge resources and tools they need to succeed. Get Schooled has a track record of success engaging young Americans using the media, technology and popular culture that is an integral part of their lives. Get Schooled's work is boosted by partners like Viacom and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In its first two years, Get Schooled has engaged more than 1.5 million young Americans and built a network of more than 250 middle and high schools.

About Alleyoop
Alleyoop empowers teens for success by attacking the college readiness problem. Incubated within Pearson, the company is located in Boston, MA. Go to www.alleyoop.com, and start the adventure.