Maryland: I'd imagine that marketing is a pretty sensitive issue. Do you get a lot responses from skeptical parents? How do you keep that balance so your marketing strategies are just that and not brainwashing children?

Susan Singer: Our field trips are first and foremost educational. Parents often come along and learn as much as their children. These field trips take chidlren to places they go with their parents. We help them understand the environment and make smart choices. Parents are some of our biggest supporters.

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Falls Church, Va.: What role do parents have in these marketing field trips?

Susan Singer: Parents are often chaperones on our field trips. They learn as much as the children.

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washingtonpost.com: Hello Susan. Thank you for joining us today.

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washingtonpost.com: Hello Susan. Thank you for joining us today.

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Bethesda, MD: Hello-
Your company sounds like it's very beneficial to the education of children. I think it's important to teach children, especially at early age, how the real world works. Your clients are going to market to them anyway so why not have them offer an educational aspect to their marketing. My question to you is how much do you limit your clients marketing agenda in order to balance it with the educational objectives?

Susan Singer: Our field trips are synergistic with the environment that hosts them. Therefore, the issue of limiting a marketing agenda doesn't really exist. Our field trip sponsors believe in the educational value of the field trip and their locations are the perfect place to communicate the experiential lessons.

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Washington, D.C.: How are these field trips educational and beneficial to children?

Susan Singer: The community that are children live in is filled with lessons that help them become healthier, balanced and contributing adults. We believe in providing lessons in the community that prepare children to become adults. Learning about nutrition in the aisles of a grocery store just makes sense. That is where food choices are made every day. The average child goes to the grocery store with a parent about once a week. They are directly involved in the decision making process and what their families buy and what they eat. All our field trips are designed with the same basic concept in mind. The hosting venues are the right place to teach the life lessons.

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Olney, MD: Do you limit the amount of "promotion" that a company can do during its field trips, or verify that the information they provide is factually based and not skewed in the company's favor or libeling competitors?

Also, would you be willing to set up a "consumer education" curriculum that teachers can administer, possibly based on the Consumer Union's information for children, if parents insisted on some kind of consumer education before allowing a corporate-sponsored field trip?

Susan Singer: The field trip is totally scripted based on extensive research and expertise from educators and professionals on the subject matter. We do not script in any "promotion" on the field trip. We control the messages on the field trips.
We started "consumer education" field trips at grocery stores when we started the company. We offer supporting classroom curriculum that teachers can access before taking a field trip. I will look into offering a worksheet for the classroom that teaches consumer education. It's a good idea. Thank you.

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Modesto, Ca.: I read the article yesterday but I had difficulty understanding how the schools benefit from giving marketers access to their classroooms. Could you explain?

Susan Singer: We don't provide access to classrooms. The community becomes a classroom and children learn life skill lessons.

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Vienna, : Apples for students, a Giant Foods program seemed to be one of the foremost education marketing efforts. You even see their sponsorship in "It's Academic" competitions. Do you think that this was successful? I don't hear much about it anymore.

Susan Singer: We work with Giant Eagle a company that is still doing Apples For The Students. It is a great program but very expensive and most retailers have stopped doing it. They are trying to help schools in other ways. We believe that grocery stores can play a pivotal role in helping our chidren learn how to eat healtier. This effort can adreess the obesity epidemic facing our country.

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Washington, D.C.: In regard to a previous question and answer, how do you set a lesson plan or cirriculum? Is there a second party who assures that it is a legitimate cirriculum and not one designed to furthur help the companies you market?

Susan Singer: Yes, we work with educators to ensure our programs are meeting the needs of the students and the curriculum.

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College Park: I remember as a child, going on field trips to the Opera. It has contributed to my life long love of music.

Did the opera benefit by selling subscriptions? I'm sure it did. Did my family benefit by learning to love good music? Definitely. Seemed good way back then, and seems even better now.

Susan Singer: This is exactly what we are all about. We have spoken to the symphony here in Chicago about field trips already.
Thank you for your comment.

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Virginia: I think we need more companies who target children like candy and soda companies in being involved in educating children on making decisions. Too often, you see candy companies luring kids into buying more to get a prize. Why can't they have a positive impact when their products are bad for kids anyway?

Susan Singer: These are the very companies that can make a difference in the choices our children make. It is the socially responsible thing for them to do.

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washingtonpost.com:

That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the discussion.

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