Atlanta Celebrities, Tastemakers and Community Advocates Rallied Together to Support Box Tops for Education Town™ Hall Event

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Apr 08, 2014, 08:00 ET

MINNEAPOLIS, April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In a continued effort to improve parental involvement in a child's education, the third annual Box Tops for Education Town Hall took place on April 3, 2014 inside the Oceans Ballroom of the Georgia Aquarium. The room was filled with parents, educators, concerned community members and key influencers who answered the call-to-action for society's most important resource: our children.

TV One "News One Now" host Roland Martin engaged panelists in a passionate discussion about ways to ensure our children's academic success at the third-annual Box Tops for Education Town Hall in Atlanta. (PRNewsFoto/Box Tops for Education) (PRNewsFoto/BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION)

Moderator Roland Martin immediately engaged a panel of thought leaders, including Dr. Carlton Brown, President of Clark-Atlanta University; celebrity mom and Grammy Award®-winning artist Monica; former CNN anchor and television personality T.J. Holmes; Ronald Skeete of Georgia Children's Aid Society; 2014 Georgia Teacher of the Year Jemelleh Coes; and Erica Jensen, Senior Manager of Integrated Marketing Communications at General Mills, in a passionate conversation about the state of education and ways to help children reach their full potential.

In addition, Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell and Diamond Lewis, director of DeKalb County Television, declared April 3, 2014 "Box Tops for Education Day" in a proclamation presentation during the Box Tops for Education Town Hall Press Conference. Council President Mitchell and Lewis presented the proclamation to Jensen and commended General Mills for providing a program that helps communities earn unrestricted funds to purchase school supplies, playground equipment, teacher training, computers, and other items to provide children the necessary tools needed for success.

During the panel discussion, Monica, an Atlanta native and actively involved parent, was candid about her experiences with providing the best education for her sons Rocko (age 8) and Romelo (age 6).

"You have to know your child and really be involved. I know my son. He does what he's told," she said as she shared a personal story about her son Rocko being wrongfully disciplined in school. "I was able to handle it in a positive way. I spoke with the principal, the other teachers and the students and we were able to resolve it because I'm active."

Coes also revealed how some children feel inadequate in the classroom. "You can tell they feel left behind and their parents feel like they don't have the knowledge to engage them in school activities."

Throughout the event Box Tops bloggers Black and Married with Kids posed questions to the panel from their twitter feed. Erica Jensen explained how the Box Tops program was designed to help combat some of the budget challenges our nation's schools are facing, and gave insight on how the program is positively impacting children's education.

Box Tops for Education is a program started by General Mills in 1996 which helps communities provide kids the tools needed for success by generating cash schools can use. Schools have earned more than $600 million through the program by creating an easy way for community members to support schools without having to spend extra money. Schools can earn up to $20,000 a year from the program.

For more information about Box Tops for Education and the Town Hall event, please visit: www.btfe.com.

About Box Tops for Education
America's schools have earned more than $600 million through the Box Tops for Education™ program since the program started in 1996, including $80 million in the 2012-2013 school year alone. More than 90,000 schools use that cash to purchase items such as computers, library books, art supplies and playground equipment. Schools can earn up to $20,000 by clipping Box Tops from 240 products such as Honey Nut Cheerios™ and Cinnamon Toast Crunch™ and can earn eBoxTops™ by shopping online through the Box Tops Marketplace™. To learn more and for a list of participating products, visit www.btfe.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140408/NY00108

SOURCE Box Tops for Education