Lift the spirits of teens, families, educators and entire communities
Teens are missing out on the high school experience
(Families, educators and entire communities too)
Create new positive experiences and lifelong memories
Millions of heartbroken teens have been robbed of the chance to perform, present or compete in the spotlight of live events. Hundreds of millions of fans wish they could still cheer for them, encourage them, and watch them shine.
Beyond the academic benefits, high school is where teens with all varieties of passions and talent find and connect with others just like them, and work together toward common goals. They miss that connection, and the excitement of school rallies, the build up of and actual performances and competitions, and the hallway high fives after a job well done.
You can give them the next best thing - a virtual spotlight.
Learning During a Pandemic?
Help provide "A saving grace for teachers and students."
With the digital divide, disengaged students, increased anxiety, stress and depression among teens due to social isolation and other stressors, high school educators are seeking innovative ways to keep students engaged and motivated, to offer relevant, real world learning opportunities, and to offer them productive ways to express their emotions.
We've got them covered. Educators helped us design our Festival and Creative Force for Good, with one saying "This is huge. It could be a saving grace for teachers and students."
You can help teachers help students.
Teens care, and they want to help
Empower teens to "Be the change"
DoSomething.org says 72% of teens want to help address current issues. You can help teens help others-- and demonstrate that you care about the same causes.
They (and their families and teachers) will thank you. E.g. 71% of students (16-24) have changed their shopping habits due to Black Lives Matter. (YMS 2020 Youth Trends Report)
You can help build the broader movement supporting youth potential and/or specific causes.
Families need positive, uplifting distractions
You can't beat a "Festival of Teen Talent, Passions and Potential," a Youth Led "Creative Force for Good" or "Weekly Benefit Variety Shows" that raise $Millions for Charity!
Beyond the dire needs presented by a pandemic, climate-related disasters and both racial and political unrest, families need positive distractions, something uplifting they can enjoy together at home.
Help fund production, promotions, life-changing prizes, causes and more, and they will remember that you made their time together special and impactful, long after the pandemic subsides.
WHY Partner with Us?
Our audience is your audience.
And going virtual means more - and more diverse - attendees
Teenage entrants and fans - 29 million teens in US, 15.3 million attend public high schools, 1.5 million attend private high schools
Parents, grandparents and more
Educators - 3.7 million full-time-equivalent K-12 educators; 62k counselors
Community members - 48 million attend HS plays, 500 million tickets sold for HS football games
Fans of celebrity partners from entertainment, media, sports, art, science and tech
Fans of televised talent shows (e.g. American Idol, Masked Singer, America’s Got Talent, Dancing with the Stars, etc.)
Many ways to engage.
- Via social media, virtual venues, cause based challenges, weekly shows, value added content, virtual event bags, advertising and press releases, and/or through schools, media partners and celebrity outreach.
- Opt-in database of teens and adults to participate in sponsors' polls, surveys, focus groups
- In person (post-coronavirus) at live statewide championships in every state in the country
Establish emotional connections and relevance, lift brand perception, increase brand love, and improve employee pride and engagement
- Lead a nationwide, galvanizing, uplifting cultural movement to celebrate all kinds of teen passions and support their dreams!
- Invest in young changemakers and their ideas to change the world
- Leverage pop culture to fund causes that are important to teens, families and employees
- Provide wholesome, family-oriented entertainment, content and experiences on topics trending in popular culture
- Incorporate our content into your own marketing and communications programs
- Demonstrate support of your teenage employees, your future employees and/or your employees' children and grandchildren
Fund causes with your marketing, CSR and/or charitable investment; meet justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI), Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and Environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards
100% of profit from weekly benefit shows and all charitable donations will fund the Youth Impact Foundation (501c3 Fund) (YIF) and the causes teens help select. You may also support specific show segments dedicated to a different cause each week, such as:
- Racial Equality
- Coronavirus Relief
- LGBTQ+ Youth
- Vote 2020
- Mental Health
- Arts education, tech education, dropout prevention
- Climate Change
- School Safety
Empower youth to "Be the change" and/or amplify your leadership on the issues that matter most to you. Engage for Good compiled these statistics to demonstrate the positive impact purpose and supporting specific causes important to consumers can have on your brand. For example, nearly nine-in-10 consumers (86%) say they’re likely to purchase from purpose-driven companies. (2019 Porter Novelli/Cone Purpose Biometrics Study)- Online Festival of Teen Talent, Passions and PotentialThousands of entries will be screened, organized and presented in talent-specific online stages and galleries through December; millions of fans will view entries and vote for favorites to appear in weekly variety shows.
Celebrate all kinds of Teens on the Verge of Greatness or support specific passion points
Founding partners are recognized sitewide in perpetuity for their leadership.
Presenting partners are recognized sitewide for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Or, focus where passions are perfectly aligned. You may choose to sponsor a higher level major talent category (see list) each with its own venue, or subcategories organized into smaller, more specific stages.
- Singing
- Music
- Dance
- Theatre
- Visual Arts
- Media Arts
- Athletics
- Technology and Innovation
- New Media/Writing
- Comedy
- Novelty Acts
- Fashion, Footwear & Jewelry Design
- Youth-Led Creative Force for Good / Specific CausesInvest in young artists, inventors, programmers and changemakers and empower them to change the world!
Promote your support of the youth-led movement and/or each specific cause
Each weekly episode will spotlight a different cause! We'll select student artwork and performances to increase awareness of the issues, post a volunteer registration form and raise additional funds specifically to help Changemaker Award winners develop and promote their solutions. Sponsors may:
- fund the production of the cause segment of the episode
- help select the best ideas - engage your employees!
- provide seed funding for development of technology solutions and/or awareness campaigns, help raise additional funds
- commit additional resources and expertise to help teens develop solutions
Each new season will highlight the status of innovations from prior seasons and provide regular updates on our website, ensuring a lasting recognition of your brand's support of teenage changemakers.
- “Teens on The Verge" Weekly Benefit Variety ShowsThe Next Big Thing in Talent Shows, Celebrity Benefit Shows and Youth-Led Movements - All in One!
Many ways to configure your partnership, based on your objectives
From a site-wide, season-long partnership to a specific talent category sponsorship, you can customize a partnership to your objectives and within your budget. We will be happy to discuss ways you may wish to leverage your investment as well!
Levels of Sponsorship:- Presenting partners – “Teens on The Verge, Presented by [name]”
- Official industry category - "Official [apparel, entertainment, mobile carrier, technology, beverage]" partner
- Specific talent category - “Film making, brought to you by: [name]”
- Specific weekly episode - “Teens on The Verge, Presented by [name], Episode 3 Sponsored by [name]”
- Specific cause segment within a weekly episode
- Geography based (future) – currently nationwide
Cash Sponsorship
100% of profit from sponsorships will be donated to specific causes each week
Your investment will support operations, high quality production and promotion; 100% of remaining profit is donated to the Youth Impact Foundation (512c3 Fund) and causes teens help select.
Major Presenting partners, cause-specific champions, weekly presenting partners, talent category sponsors - please call or email Linda Neaton at 203.449.5044, lneaton@thevergeawards.com
All other cash sponsors, please email lneaton@thevergeawards.com - we will have an online ordering system up shortly!
Prefer to receive charitable credit? Learn more here
Products, Services, Scholarships, Experiences
We welcome valuable prizes (that can earn charitable deductions) for entrants, randomly selected fans, educators and fundraising sweepstakes:
- in each talent category, such as musical instruments, art supplies, dance apparel, computers/laptops, graphic design or video editing software, film making or photography equipment, subscriptions, audio recording equipment and editing software and more.
- for all teens, such as apparel, footwear, music, entertainment, gaming, food and beverages, media, electronics, personal care, software subscriptions and so on.
- for parents, (in addition to many of those for teens) such as banking and financial services, mobile service providers, travel and hospitality, CPG, tax preparation services, etc.
- for teachers and administrators
Special note for colleges and universities - these are your future students; how about offering scholarships? (You select the recipients)
Corporations - same thing, how about a named scholarship for your future employees?
Celebrity Ambassadors, Media Donations, Marketing Platforms and Expertise
Help us cheer for these incredibly talented kids! Plus, the bigger the audience, the more recognition for all partners.
Offer your celebrity ambassadors the opportunity to support something personally meaningful. Have media to donate, or a social platform to share? Help us spread the word! Have a media budget? Use it to invest in our culture-defining programming.
Employee Volunteers, In-kind services
Trying to retain your best creative talent?
Allow them to use their expertise to produce and promote weekly content and help build this uplifting movement! Engage additional employees to help screen entries, and rally the entire nation around these amazing teens.
- Now is the time.
"In a world beset by a pandemic and all that accompanies it, including an economic recession and political uncertainty, consumers are crying out for brands that can be a beacon of optimism and resilience. This is true across every demographic we study — parents, millennials, Generation Z, and especially kids. In fact, there was a 23% increase in the “Staying Positive” Passion Point among 9-year-olds compared with 2019, and a 12% increase among Gen Z.
Now would be a good time for brand stewards to make these emotions central to their brand’s purpose. " MIT Sloan Management Review 8-27-20"The third and fourth quarters of the year are likely to deliver continued focus on racial justice, a potential resurgence of Covid-19, one of the toughest hurricane seasons in years and an incredibly polarized political election season. But amidst this chaos comes great opportunity for brands to take a leadership position and accelerate consumer trust by focusing on purpose and meaningful, authentic social impact." Engage for Good
"Consumers and employees alike are discerning and will notice the brands that have a strong purpose and act on it. In fact, according to a new report by Accenture, 43% of consumers will walk away when disappointed by a brands’ words or actions on a social issue." Forbes
"Instead of keeping marketing initiatives status quo, or pulling them entirely, brands should consider how they can offer unique content or experiences that consumers will appreciate. It’s also important to offer consumers a way to stay connected while safe at home." MediaPost
"COVID-19 elevates the social impact of every business and throws a spotlight on the nature of our companies, our character and our brand(s)." "...Why does your company exist? How does it contribute to societal, economic and environmental progress?" "A brand’s purpose will only be relevant if it sits within people’s own purpose, and not the other way around." Accenture
“The more that brands can help people stay connected to communities, to passions, to learning, to like-minded people, to the thoughts and ideas, the more that they’re going to win. [I]t’s a humanity moment and it’s the right thing to do.” Tom Herbst, former CMO of the North Face
"Brands and rights holders need to embrace a modern and flexible digital strategy that enables them to compete for a fan’s attention on multiple channels." KORE“Younger people are very cynical about brands, especially large firms. They are seeking authenticity." Rohit Deshpande, professor of marketing, Harvard Business School. Vanity Fair continues, "Ultimately it would be inauthentic not to respond in some way to the COVID-19 crisis, the elephant in the world’s room.""The brand has to be visible. We cannot go dark. (But) this is a time to enable and not be opportunistic." Mastercard CMO Raja Rajamannar
"Brands that use their position and resources to be helpful and relevant during (crises) will leave a positive impression on consumers." Ryan Detert, CEO of Influential
