• by Alison Hill , Columnist, March 5, 2015

As I know from experience, entertainment properties aimed at children can present marketing and PR people with challenges — if kids don’t consume media the way adults do, how do you get your message in front of them? One answer is to go where the kids are: school. 

That’s tricky, of course. Schools are protective, teachers are overloaded, and standardized testing means that there’s not a lot of room in the curriculum for “extras.” Not to mention, you don’t want to be seen as exploiting schoolchildren just to make a buck.

So I was intrigued when I discovered Young Minds Inspired (YMI). YMI has specialized in educational outreach for more than 30 years, helping companies like Disney, Paramount, and Peanuts reach kids through free classroom materials — in print, video, and digital whiteboard technology, and on the Web. Their programs are used at every school in the U.S. What gives them credibility? A management team and advisory board of experienced teachers. I spoke with Donald Lay, YMI’s managing partner and director of Outreach, about what YMI does.

Q: Can you give examples of entertainment properties that you successfully translated into educational programs?

A: Recently YMI created a reading skills school program on behalf of The Weinstein Company to introduce elementary school teachers, students and their families to Paddington, one of the most beloved children’s book characters and based on the new Paddington movie. We also worked with NBC television to help promote their production of the Broadway musical “Peter Pan Live!” The study guide introduced secondary school students to the characters, adventures, and songs, and provided activities designed to generate engagement before, during, and after the live broadcast. We also helped Amazon launch their online preschool series Tumble Leaf with a program that introduces toddlers to STEM concepts through hands-on creative play and exploration. 

Q: What qualities make an entertainment property a good fit with classroom learning?

A: For all brands, we first make certain there’s an educational message to share with teachers and students so that it will meet with teacher acceptance. Second, we’ll research our database of 2.1 million teachers and over 100,000 schools to select educators that best meet the targeting criteria. Finally, since school budgets are tight, our materials are always distributed to educators at no cost to them. Teachers welcome lesson plans that motivate students with interesting, topical materials that break the monotony of textbook-based learning.   

Q: How does your blue-ribbon panel of teachers "assure that our programs align with academic standards”?

A: All YMI programs are created by our in-house staff of former educators and then reviewed by our Teacher Advisory Panel comprised of 250 educators selected by grade and subject matter to insure each YMI program meets both local and national curriculum standards. 

Q: If an entertainment property came to you looking to get their property in front of schoolchildren, what steps would you go through?

A: We begin every project by meeting with key company personnel to define their marketing goals and objectives. Next we work with the client to select the target audience by demographic profile while we select the schools and educators who can deliver that audience. We then evaluate the educational needs and opportunities within this target group against the client’s goals and objectives. Finally, we develop a strategic campaign that dovetails the needs of the client with those of the educational community.

Q: What kind of feedback do you get from teachers and students about these entertainment-related programs?

A: Every YMI program includes a teacher reply card or an online feedback form. Over the years, our feedback reports have shown that approximately 78% of teachers who receive a YMI program use and share it within the first four weeks. And depending upon the subject matter, teachers re-use our programs for an average of three years. 

Q: So much of schools' curricula are devoted to Common Core and preparing students for standardized tests. How do you fit your programs in among all the other things teachers have to cover?

A: Our programs align with the curriculum, but are not designed to replace the textbook or to compete with all the things educators are required to teach — rather they’re designed to enhance this experience by introducing new, interactive materials to make the learning experience more engaging and memorable.

Q: This may be a sensitive question, but how do you avoid the perception that Hollywood is "exploiting" schools to market their property?

A: It’s not a sensitive question at all. Believe it or not, entertainment programs are among our most popular programs with teachers. Educators understand that kids love movies, TV shows, the internet, etc., and when we’re able to “marry” a Hollywood property that has a message with a lesson plan, it truly is a win-win situation for the studio, schools, teachers, kids and families.