Nick Salter
Age 17
Speaking Out Against Commercialism in Schools

In many American schools, advertising messages can be found on walls, athletic scoreboards and even TV programs shown during class time. Nick Salter says that's just not right.

"There's an outrageous amount of money being wasted for kids to watch advertising in schools," says Salter, a junior at Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, Colo. "Kids should be in school for education and not so much for the marketing frenzy of corporations."

Salter is particularly concerned about Channel One, a 12-minute news and advertising television program viewed daily in 12,000 middle schools and high schools across the country. As a youth leader with the Center for Commercial Free Public Education, Salter is working to get Channel One out of schools. He wants other young people to speak out too.

"Students shouldn't be afraid to ask questions about why they are being forced to watch ads," says Salter. "Student-led actions are some of the most successful ways to fight commercials in schools."

For more information about Center for Commercial Free Public Education, visit http://www.commercialfree.org/.