Citizens' Campaign for Commercial-Free Schools

June 12, 2002

SEATTLE SCHOOL DISTRICT WINS NATIONAL AWARD FOR SAYING NO TO COMMERCIALISM IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

School Board President Receives $5000 Prize

Seattle, Washington ­ The Seattle School Board today won the first National Ad Slam contest sponsored by Commercial Alert, a national watchdog organization that aims to keep commercial culture within its proper sphere. The National Ad Slam Contest awards a $5,000 prize to the school or school district that makes the best and most creative effort to kick advertising and commercialism out of school during the 2001-2 school year.

"I'm thrilled about the collaboration between the Seattle School District and the Citizens' Campaign for Commercial-Free Schools that resulted in a policy protecting our students from inappropriate commercial activity," says Nancy Waldman, Seattle School Board President. As head of last yearıs Policy committee, Waldman shepherded a new district-wide commercialism policy through to a successful 6-1 vote.

The new Seattle policy dramatically reduces commercialism in all 100 public schools by prohibiting many types of advertising and commercial activities targeted at children and phasing out the controversial commercial TV program, Channel One, by 2004-5.

"The Citizens' Campaign for Commercial Free Schools has done great work in expelling commercialism from the Seattle public schools," said Gary Ruskin, executive director of Commercial Alert. "The Seattle School Board won the National Ad Slam Contest because of the Citizens' Campaign's excellent advocacy and organizing."

The Citizensı Campaign for Commercial-Free Schools is a broad coalition of education, labor, health and community groups representing over 170,000 Washingtonians. Started by a handful of outraged parents, students and teachers in Seattle five years ago, the grassroots statewide organization now has individual supporters in 70 communities throughout Washington, including many elected officials and community leaders.

"The Seattle School Board deserves recognition for showing national leadership on this issue," says Dr. Brita Butler-Wall, co-founder and Executive Director of the Citizensı Campaign. "All Washington children need and deserve an education free from corporate influence, and this award from a national advocacy organization underscores the importance of developing thoughtful, strong policies to protect children from exploitation."

"Funding for public education should not fall to the hands of multi-million dollar corporations who benefit from access to our children," says state Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-36th). "Letıs hope this success will inspire school districts throughout the state to implement similar policies, so that the integrity of learning will remain the top priority in all our schools."

The Citizensı Campaign for Commercial-Free Schools is a Seattle-based non-profit organization devoted to protecting Washington children and youth from commercialism in school. For more information about the campaign in Seattle and in other communities throughout the state of Washington, see their website at
http//www.scn.org/cccs.

Commercial Alert's mission is to keep the commercial culture within its proper sphere, and to prevent it from exploiting children and subverting the higher values of family, community, environmental integrity and democracy. For more information about advertising, marketing and commercialism in schools, see Commercial Alert's website is at
http//www.commercialalert.org.