Education Funding

Preschool Group Latches On to Wristbands

By Linda Jacobson — April 19, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Cycling champion Lance Armstrong made “livestrong” yellow wristbands popular through his foundation for cancer education and research.

Proceeds from the sale of pink rubber bracelets go to the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. There’s even a bracelet for tsunami relief and another denouncing racism.

Now, a child-advocacy organization in Florida is tapping into the socially conscious fashion trend by selling orange bands to raise money to support high-quality preschools.

“Oh my God, it’s been overwhelming,” Kim Gwynn, the campaign assistant at the Children’s Campaign in Tallahassee, Fla., said about the demand for the bracelets. “Everybody in early-childhood [education] wants one. We don’t want to squelch it because it’s been such a positive thing.”

Imprinted on the bands is the phrase “For the kids,” as well as the campaign’s Web site, qualityprek.org.

Money raised from the sale of the bands is used to promote improvements to Florida’s universal pre-K program, which will get under way this summer. Ms. Gwynn said the bracelets are not meant to be a sign of protest against inadequate funding and low standards, but instead to generate awareness about high-quality preschool.

“We’re not reacting to the present situation as much as we are encouraging people who are interested to understand that we’re not there yet,” she said.

Popular Color

An advocacy group in Florida is selling orange bands to support preschools.

The idea for the bands, which sell for $21 for a pack of 10, came when Linda Alexionok, the universal-prekindergarten director for the organization, and Amanda Busch, its coordinator of policy administration, were brainstorming with some interns.

They were trying to think of a way to attract attention to their cause during “Children’s Week,” an annual event organized by the United Way of Florida and held during the state’s legislative session. This year’s activities, which focus on issues affecting children and families, began April 1.

Ms. Gwynn said she and others at the Children’s Campaign have been asked if they chose orange because the color is associated with the tropical fruit Florida is famous for growing. But she said that’s not the case. “We just picked orange because it’s bright,” she said. “And kids like it.”

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Funding States Are Pulling Back on K-12 Spending. How Hard Will Schools Get Hit?
Some states are trimming education investments as financial forecasts suggest boom times may be over.
6 min read
Collage illustration of California state house and U.S. currency background.
F. Sheehan for Education Week / Getty
Education Funding Using AI to Guide School Funding: 4 Takeaways
One state is using AI to help guide school funding decisions. Will others follow?
5 min read
 Illustration of a robot hand drawing a graph line leading to budget and finalcial spending.
iStock/Getty
Education Funding A State Uses AI to Determine School Funding. Is This the Future or a Cautionary Tale?
Nevada reworked its funding formula hoping to target extra aid to students most in need. What happened could hold lessons for other states.
13 min read
Illustration of robotic hand putting coins into jar.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Education Funding How States Are Rethinking Where School Funding Should Go
There's constant debate over the best way to allocate state money to schools. Here are some ways states are reworking their school funding.
7 min read
Conceptual illustration of tiny people is planning the personal budget, accounting, analysis.
Muhamad Chabibalwi/iStock/Getty