Commercial activity in schools is increasing and raises serious questions about the role of schools in our society. Each of the categories of commercialism is described below, with the percent change in number of citations from 1990 to 2000 indicated in parentheses after the category s title.
Businesses regularly sponsor events at schools across the country.
CACE defines the Sponsorship of Programs and Activities category as corporations paying for or subsidizing school events or activities in return for the right to associate their name with the events and activities. Among the events involved are sporting events and school contests. Sponsorship offers a corporation the opportunity to associate its name with a good cause, to increase name recognition among important market segments, and to get its products into schools. The schools get needed resources and develop connections with the business community. Whether it is the clothing company Eddie Bauer sponsoring the final round of the National Geography Bee or New England middle schoolers competing in a model ship building contest sponsored by a potato chip company, shoolchildren are exposed to marketing efforts by companies in the form of sponsorships from the first day of kindergarten to high school graduation.