CERUCommercialism in Education Research Unit
On March 21, 2008 this became an archive site. All documents published before this date are still available here. All documents published after this date are available at our new combined site (http://www.epicpolicy.org/), a joint effort of CERU, EPIC, and EPRU. The CERU section is available at http://www.epicpolicy.org/ceru-home.
CERU Links of Interest
Link Categories:
ASU
The Arizona Education Policy Initiative (AEPI), a collaborative project of Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona, was launched in September 2003. AEPI utilizes the expertise of faculty at Arizona’s public universities to provide policy makers and the public with high quality information about Arizona education policy and practice.
The Education Policy Research Unit (EPRU), directed by Professor Alex Molnar, conducts original research, provides independent analyses of research and policy documents, and facilitates educational innovation. EPRU facilitates the work of leading academic experts in a variety of disciplines to help inform the public debate about education policy issues.
The Language Policy Research Unit (LPRU), co-directed by Professor Terrence Wiley and Assistant Professor Wayne Wright (University of Texas, San Antonio), promotes research and policy analysis on the challenges and opportunities posed by global multilingualism. LPRU activities are intended to inform public discussion and policymaking in state, national, and international contexts.
Other
A
Based in Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada, Adbusters is a not-for-profit, global network of artists,
activists, writers, students, educators, and entrepreneurs.
"This is the largest collection
of its kind in the world, and a unique reference source for the media,
collectors, designers, advertising agencies, academics and all those who
are interested in art, social history, sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll, and
every product that has been advertised in the last 150 years."
Advertising Association
is a professional organization in the United Kingdom. The Food Advertising
Unit deals with advertising to children.
"The Advertising Education Forum (AEF) is a non-profit
organization for all parties interested in issues relating to advertising
and children in Europe."
"The ASA is the independent,
self-regulatory body for non-broadcast advertisements in the UK. We administer
the British Codes of Advertising and Sales Promotion to ensure that ads
are legal, decent, honest and truthful."
B
"Advertising has
become so common that it's now the background noise to our lives. But
in their effort to get us to buy their products and services, advertisers
are becoming more and more intrusive."
C
The mission of COPI is to reduce the prevalence of obesity
and its associated health risks in Californians through promotion of physical activity and healthy eating as
well as address the societal, technological, and environmental influences on obesity.
Our Mission: "To
increase healthy eating and physical activity to reduce the prevalence
of chronic disease such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, osteoporosis,
and diabetes."
This collection of calculators allows you to select foods
and activities, and to track the calories you eat and burn.
"An advocacy, education, and information group concerned
over the escalation of corporate marketing directed at children." This organization
was formerly known as Stop Commercial Exploitation of Children.
The Campaign for Commercial Free
Education (Ireland) was established in 2005 to address the increasing advertising and
sale of commercial products in Irish schools. It is a grassroots body of teachers,
parents and concerned individuals who believe that students should not be subject to
commercial marketing during school time.
"The Canadian Centre
for Policy Alternatives is a national economic and social policy think
tank."
A non-profit public education advocacy organization that
provides support to students, parents, teachers, school board members and other concerned citizens organizing
across the U.S. to keep their schools commercial-free and community-controlled.
A not-for-profit membership
which believes that media literacy is a critical life skill for children
and adults in today's media culture.
"The organization
helps individuals, communities, and businesses establish sustainable practices
that will ensure a healthy planet for future generations."
Children Now utilizes research
and mass communication to make the well-being of children a top priority across the United States.
"The Coalition aims to enhance the health of Australian children
by calling for a ban on all television food advertising during programs
where children (aged 0-12 years) make up a substantial proportion of the
viewing audience." The Coalition site is housed on the website of the
Children's Health Development Foundation (Adelaide, South Australia).
Once into the CHDF site, click on the Quick Links and choose CFAC.
"Our 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."
C.H.E.F. seeks to combine an entrepreneurial and collaborative spirit with a
passion for empowering people to make smart decisions for a healthier life.
"A worldwide non-profit
federation of consumer organizations, dedicated to the protection and
promotion of consumer interests."
"Tools for teachers, youth
leaders, and parents who want to help kids 8 and up evaluate products,
see through ad hype, be money-smart and think for themselves."
"This site provides informative
and educational materials developed by Consumers Union's advocacy offices
on a variety of consumer issues, including health care, financial services,
food safety, product safety, and more."
Information about multinational
corporations providing educational materials free of charge to schools
in the hopes of influencing student opinion in the corporations' favor.
D
This website hosts District Administration, a magazine for K-12 education
leaders, presents current education news, and provides information and links to many education resources,
including lessons, standards, curriculum, media, and student research.
E
ECS helps states and state policymakers work together to address
education policy topics. It provides news and information; policy research and analysis;
state, regional, and national policy conferences; customized technical assistance;
publications; and networks and partnerships. Subscriptions to a variety of
e-newsletters are also available.
F
This fast-food calorie counter calculates the amount of fat
and calories you consume when eating at a fast-food restaurant.
H
The organization is "dedicated
to improving the health value of the food served to children in public and
private schools. The campaign's key message: Foods served in
schools should promote the health of all children."
Founded in 1992 by the National
Association of State Boards of Education "to facilitate discussions
among state board members and state education agency staff, state health
agency staff, and other committed individuals to promote high-quality, well-coordinated
school health programs." Also see sample policies to encourage healthy
eating at http://www.nasbe.org/HealthySchools/healthy_eating.html
K
The Center for a New American Dream's Kids and Commercialism
campaign is devoted to exposing the dramatic increase in advertising directed
at children. This campaign will also raise awareness about the many environmental
and social costs of the increased advertising. Also at this site, get
a free brochure on Tips for Parenting in a Commercial Culture.
L
"Learning in the Real World is dedicated to a rational
examination of the costs and benefits of education technology before a
decision is made concerning where and how much to invest."
A resource of the Feingold Association, "Let's Do
Lunch" provides articles about the influence on
children's behavior of foods they eat at school, examples
of successful school programs, and actions that parents,
teachers, and administrators can take to influence the
nature of food available at schools.
A website featuring student-created
public service announcements.
Janet Cundiff's webpage provides information about
Fast food similar to the movie Supersize It!
M
"The McCOLLEGE TOUR
marches on in the Spring of 2001, taking the corporatization-of-academia
debate to ten more private colleges, public universities and media arts
centers, provoking discussion, dissension and hopeful community building
among those whose wish to see the university play a more vital and humanitarian
role in the twenty-first century."
An international media
watchdog organization which states that "...to be an informed citizen
requires a knowledge of the workings of the media world. For this reason,
the kind of knowledge that once was the province of insiders and the territory
of specialists is becoming of interest to the public at large."
Sponsored by the Institute for American Values,
the Motherhood Project's goal is to promote a
"mothers' renaissance" - fresh thinking, discussion,
and activism by mothers about motherhood and mothering, and about who mothers are, what we do, our
importance to our children, families and society, and our potential as catalysts for cultural and
social change for the benefit of children and families.
N
Contains resources (such as policy, vendor
lists, and alternative fundraising ideas) for use in campaigns for healthy alternatives in
school vending machines and cafeterias.
O
"Obligation
seeks to empower citizens with the resources they need to protect children
from the popular culture."
P
Project P.H.A.T. (Promoting Healthy Alternatives through Teamwork) seeks to improve
the health of Houston students by promoting healthy food alternatives in schools.
Professor Hugh Rank's website for teachers and students providing some simple
ways to analyze complex persuasion techniques of modern advertising and political rhetoric.
This San Francisco-based research and information project
is composed of "public-school parents and advocates who see firsthand
that our schools can work... Our mission is to build support for schoolchildren,
classrooms, teachers, and communities." Also see PASA's school nutrition
pages at: http://pasaorg.tripod.com/nutrition/nutrition.html
"Project Look Sharp sees media literacy as the ability
to access, analyze, critically evaluate, and produce communication in
a variety of forms."
"Reduced funding for curriculum development and for the purchase
of high-quality materials makes it more likely that school boards will
enter into agreements that expose students to curricular materials that
promote corporate interests. The Canadian Teachers' Federation believes
that materials intended for classroom use should be subjected to rigorous
evaluation."
R
Founded in 1986 by Milwaukee public school teachers,
the journal is devoted to social justice and education reform that will
serve America's diverse public school students.
S
School Pouring Rights seeks to end exclusive agreement
contracts between school districts and soft drink vendors.
"Stay Free! is a non-profit magazine examining commercialism
and American culture."
"An advocacy, education, and information group concerned
over the escalation of corporate marketing directed at children." This organization
has been renamed Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood.
U
John F. Banzhaf III is a nationally-known professor and practitioner
of public interest law. This website describes his plans to use legal
action against the problem of obesity in some of the same ways he pioneered
its use against the problem of smoking.
Y
"Its focus is on informing public debate and discussion about the social
impact of the media on the young... YMA provides up-to-date information
and education on issues of violence, advertising, classification guidelines,
standards, self regulatory codes, and the maintenance of quality quotas
for children's programs."