Black and white signs dot the street corners of various Valley intersections, vying for the attention of passing motorists. Instead of proclaiming a message or a command like the political signs that often take root on these same corners — “Vote Yes on such and such” or “Re-elect so and so” — these signs only ask a question: Are Arizona children getting PUNK’D?

Other than a Web site, no contact information is given. The man behind the ad campaign says that is intentional, done as a way to pique the interest of those who see the signs and entice them to hit the Internet to learn more.

“We’ve found it to be very effective,” says Steve Roman, a partner in the public affairs firm of Hamilton, Gullett, Davis & Roman. “When someone makes the effort to go online and read something, their level of interest is higher than glancing at a sign.”

The 500 or so signs went up about five to six weeks ago, mainly in metro Phoenix and Tucson, as did the Web site, www.azpunkd.com. They are the public outreach arm of Early Childhood Arizona, an advocacy group launched at about the same time.

Early Childhood Arizona, headed by Nadine Mathis Basha, strives to protect and fight for society’s “most vulnerable members…to receive a quality education and to be equipped to become successful members of society,” according to its Web site, www.earlychildhoodaz.com.

Visitors to the PUNK’D site — it’s name is an adapted spelling of “punked” and means to be deceived, disrespected or betrayed and is the title of a popular show on MTV — are asked to take a quiz about “how poorly we’re doing” at providing for young children.

This interactive portion of the site probes viewers’ minds about how Arizona stacks up to the nation in various categories, including overall child well being, the dropout rate and health insurance for children.

Visitors are urged to sign a pledge to improve Arizona’s child development system, tell others about the site, donate money and visit the Early Childhood Arizona parent site.

So far, the Web sites seem to be successful at garnering attention. Mr. Roman says there have been more than 10,000 hits to the PUNK’D site since it went active. More than 500 have signed up to be on the distribution list for the sites to receive information in the future.

Funding for the Web sites and signs comes from many places, Mr. Roman said, including the Early Care and Education Research Fund and the Adelante Foundation, which is run by Ms. Basha and her husband, grocery store magnate Eddie Basha. The group has raised $200,000 the past three years and has spent about $150,000.

Group Seeks To Build Network

Ms. Basha says the aim of the signs at Web sites is not to collect donations — though doing so is welcome.

“We’re hoping to build a group of people willing to sign up to become advocates for early childhood education,” she said. “What we care more about is building a network than craving money.”

Arizona Ranks 47th In Child Well Being

At issue, she says, is that Arizona ranks 47th in the nation in overall child well being, a category that includes immunization rates, infant mortality rates and other health issues. The focus for Early Childhood Arizona will be the healthcare and educational opportunities available to children from birth until age five, Ms. Basha said.

If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, Ms. Basha says the state should work to better immunize young children and fight against other maladies that are common among kids that age, including tooth decay.

“Anything that we could do in terms of prevention would be such a wiser use of our [state’s] resources, which are limited,” she said.

Mr. Roman said the key to producing a more capable workforce in the state is to lay the foundation when children are at their most formative stage.

“The issue is that we have significant resources out there for educating our [older] kids, but the reality is that a child’s brain is 90 percent developed by the time they’re three [years old],” he said. “By the time they’re five, their brain is pretty much wired.

“If you want better outcomes, you need a strong start.”

At-risk students, the group contends — those from economically depressed areas, for example — begin school behind their classmates and struggle to catch up.

Ms. Basha said parents should be educated about what is needed to properly prepare their children for entering school ready to learn. Their role, she says, is crucial.

“It’s about holding your child, talking to your child…not plopping your child in front of a TV,” she said. “It’s about parental interaction.”

She hopes the signs are enough to catch people’s attention, at least for now, in the campaign’s “infancy.” As the group moves forward, legislation or ballot measures may be considered, she said. For now, though, Ms. Basha is striving to get people to pay attention.

“We really want to engage people where they live,” she said. —