• Although the school district does have policies regulating commercial activities, Seattle students are exposed to advertising and logos of both for-profit and non-profit companies in 29 of 30 schools studied, most notably in secondary schools

• Most teachers interviewed in the study reported receiving unsolicited teaching materials from for-profit companies and industry groups; in most schools, using them is frequently left up to the teacher. District policy requiring a review process is not widely known or followed

• Advertisers have found innovative ways of reaching the captive school audience in Seattle -- distributing free inspirational posters with logos, sponsoring school 'contests' which require students to go to their place of business to collect 'prizes', and even paying one school for recruiting families to listen to sales pitches for time-share properties

• School staff at 19 of the 20 middle and high schools make free book covers available to students -- featuring ads for products such as clothing, snack food, soft drinks, sneakers, beauty products, TV shows, movies, and the military

• Over 10,000 Seattle students are required to watch television commercials during school each day -- for junk food, sneakers, and beauty products -- because of contracts signed by 14 middle and high school principals. About a third of these students will have seen over 45 hours of commercials during school time by the time they graduate. In exchange for providing a daily captive audience to advertisers, the school gets the loan of television monitors and other equipment

• Many Seattle teachers and school librarians sell books, software, videos, and stickers to students and their families in exchange 'points' they can exchange for books and classroom supplies not provided by the district

• Many teachers, school counselors and school nurses distribute free samples and coupons to students -- bearing the names and logos of for-profit companies

• In some schools, students are taken out of class to attend motivational fund-raising assemblies. Students get incentives and tips for selling commercial products to family and neighbors. Students serve as a free sales force for candy and t-shirt companies and the schools or PTAs get as little as 10% of the gross income from the sales

• Many school activities coordinators, coaches and other teachers receive 'gifts' from commercial fund-raising companies for sending business their way

 

*Bond, L., Butler-Wall, B. & Morrison, D. (1997). Report on Commercial Activities and Advertising in the Seattle Public Schools, May-June, 1997. Seattle, WA: Seattle Council of Parent Teacher Student Associations.