Corporate Sponsorship In Schools

Corporate Sponsorships In Schools Across America corporate engagements in schools has been commonly known, providing many schools with the financial assistance in exchange for disseminating their company’s name and logo freely throughout the school. Due to limited funding by the government for some schools, branded vending machines or score boards can provide the schools with much needed funds to develop and maintain programs in schools (“School Budget Cuts”). However, many argue that advertising brands in schools can be detrimental to the students. In some cases corporate sponsorships can be pernicious; however, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, since they provide the funds schools need to maintain and improve programs, supply text
books and other learning equipment for every student and also provide scholarships. This lessens the financial burden on schools and has an impact on not only the school but the students giving them better learning materials and environment. In todays society most schools have financials burdens that deprive them of the fundamental materials needed to maintain the school and provide a highly educational experience for every student. Schools have to buy textbooks, classroom equipment and materials, computers and many other learning essentials. However, due to the insufficient funding provided to schools, many cannot afford these basic learning essentials to run a highly effective and educational learning environment. In the state of California approximately 5 million dollars was cut from their education budget, in result the schools don’t have enough funding to provide textbooks and materials for the students (“California’s Text Book Crisis”). Approximately two million students cannot take textbooks home for studying and homework and more than half a million students do not have textbooks to use in class (“California’s Text Book Crisis”). Most teachers in these schools lack other essential materials, such as graphing paper, calculators, and lab equipment (“California’s Text Book Crisis”). This is where corporate sponsorships can intervene to put these burdens at ease. With the addition of a Coca Cola vending machine in a few halls this can enable the school to receive enormous amounts of funding to improve the school and provide the students with the adequate materials and technology they need. Corporate Sponsorships also contribute to maintaining and improving school programs and extracurricular activities.
Many schools are facing massive budget cuts to educational funding, leading to cutbacks in many programs such as early childhood education programs, sports, and termination of art, music, physical education, and other elective subjects (“School Budget Cuts”). Under Armour donates millions to schools athletic departments and many other programs for simply allowing them to place initials “UA” under the collar of every students uniform (“School Budget Cuts”). At my previous high school we faced extreme budget cuts that completely wiped out the fine arts program which included theater, fashion design, interior design, art, dance, home economics, cinema and graphic design. The sports program was on the brink of termination also; however, due to a generous agreement with Under Armour the school was able to receive the funding needed to keep the sports program at a simple cost of having every athlete use uniform with the Under Armour initials branded on the collar. Corporate sponsorships supply schools with the imperative finances needed to preserve and improve programs that were deemed nonessential and on the fringe of
cessation. Many universities utilize the money received from corporate sponsorships to provide numerous scholarships for students (“The Scholarships and American Society”). This is one of the most beneficial advantages of sponsorships, because it gives students that come from low income families an opportunity to achieve a higher education.With the detrimental circumstances the economy is facing today it is close to impossible for many students to pay for college without financial assistance and scholarships. Universities or community colleges that have corporate sponsorships with the Coca Cola Company are given money to use for scholarships (“Company Provided Scholarships”). The universities give out three scholarships in favor of Coca Cola, the Coca Cola Scholars Scholarship, Coca Cola Community College Academic Team Scholarship, and the Coca Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship (“Company Provided Scholarships”). Sponsorships with Microsoft also provides scholarships for study abroad programs which are immensely propitious to every college students educational experience (“Company Provided Scholarships”). Many corporation sponsorships aren’t attempting to infest kids minds with harmful advertisements in schools, they working hard to give back to the communities in which they prosper. College is an expensive luxury that most families can’t afford so these companies are giving students opportunities for success. Some argue that school is not an environment designed for marketing it was made to give students an education.
Having corporate sponsorships in schools gives them the opportunity to infest kids minds with products than can be detrimental to not only their minds but their health. School is not the place for advertising products that can harm kids mentality and jeopardize their health. Schools should be a haven for learning but constant exposures to “Coca Cola” or “Mc Donald's” can intrude into a kids mentality. Students having to go into learning environments indulged with corporate advertisements makes the schools loose its educational integrity. However, advertisements in schools is no different from what kids are exposed to on a daily basis outside of school. Although I agree that some advertisements in schools can be pernicious not all advertisements are harmful to the students, and with the financial burdens of many schools, leading towards corporate sponsorships is the most effective decision for improvement. This provides students with the proper equipment, programs and opportunities to make the most of their education
experience. The benefits of Corporate sponsorships emphatically outweighs the risks simply because it provides the students with the proper programs, tools and learning environment to excel in their education. Many people are repulsed by the idea of corporations infesting schools with advertisements; however, the extra money received for brief recognition at a game or on a T-shirt, most would agree is well worth it. If many schools are apprehensive about the advertisements from Corporations that might be harmful to the students, these schools should look to find Corporation agreements with companies than will impose a positive message to students. This way both corporation and the school are benefiting without causing an unhealthy message to students.