Engaging with Schools: Strategies and Ideas
Many of our partners search out and use Banzai as a way to build relationships with schools in their area. Over the years, Banzai has seen many creative approaches. This page collects the ideas that have proven most successful.
Don't feel obligated to do any of these. Banzai handles the direct marketing of the program to your schools. But as a community partner, you're welcome to do your own outreach, and the strategies below are worth considering.
1. Get Your Staff Involved
Your employees may have great connections to the schools you sponsor—a child who attends the school, a friend or family member who works there. Staff members can be a natural way to open a door with a school. Make sure they're up to date on what your Banzai sponsorship actually means and how they can help. Consider incentivizing them for their contributions.
2. Send Mailers or Swag Bags to Educators
Who doesn't love free stuff? To get a teacher's attention, put together a kit that includes Banzai marketing materials plus school supplies (pens, notepads, sticky notes) and deliver it directly to the school.
3. Scholarships
Students are eager to pursue additional education after high school, and offering a student scholarship using Banzai content is a powerful way to show your commitment to educators and students.
4. Teach the Teacher
Banzai is built to be easy to implement in the classroom, but that doesn't mean every teacher feels confident exploring financial topics in depth. That's where you, as a professional in the financial industry, can offer valuable support. Offer to run a brief teacher-training session, be available for questions, or provide a subject-matter expert for classroom Q&A. Feel free to use the presentation linked below to present a brief intro-to-Banzai presentation.
Download Teacher Presentation (with Notes)5. Post on Social Media
Many of your sponsored schools have social media pages they use to update parents and the community. Tag individual schools or districts in your social posts about Banzai—it's a great way for the school to learn about your sponsorship and share the news with their community.
6. Target Specific Groups
Banzai offers many different resources—but some of your teachers might be looking for specific content. One approach is to focus outreach on a few tools that fit certain student groups (e.g., high schoolers preparing for college, elementary students learning to save).
7. Offer Banzai to school Clubs
The Banzai program isn't limited to classroom settings. Many schools have extracurricular programs and clubs that help students learn new skills and gain life experience—Banzai may be a great fit for them. Consider reaching out to specific club advisors (business clubs, entrepreneurship programs, after-school enrichment).
8. Add Information to a School Newsletter
Schools keep students and parents up to date through monthly newsletters or school newspapers. Ask about adding a short section or announcement about your Banzai sponsorship—it's low-cost, high-visibility outreach.
9. Attend School Meetings
Many schools and districts host meetings throughout the year and invite members of the public to attend. Spending a couple of minutes at these meetings promoting your sponsorship of the Banzai program can be a great way to get the program in front of teachers, administrators, and school-board members.
10. Look for PR Opportunities
Reach out to local media outlets and send them a press release. You're providing youth with an amazing opportunity to get ahead in life—that's a story worth sharing. Local newspapers, community magazines, and small-market TV stations are often eager for good-news stories about local business investing in education.
We want you to get the most out of your partnership. Please don't hesitate to reach out to your Banzai Representative with any questions.