The evolution of Wood Magic Science Fair(TM): A historical analysis with implications regarding program effectiveness as a branding tool.

摘要

Environmental education grew out of the concern that human activity was harming our environment. Since the environmental movement, however, growing controversy has surrounded environmental education. Many forms of environmental education provide misinformation. The Wood Magic Science Fair(TM) [WMSF] is an innovative education program aimed at teaching elementary school students and their teachers about the importance of forest products in our lives and to our economy. WMSF seeks to increase the visibility of forest-based industry as an environmentally positive field by clarifying some common misconceptions about natural resource depletion and use.; Unbiased environmental education programs are few and far between. As an expert-led, fact-based program independent of industry endorsement, WMSF has the potential to strongly impact the future of forest industry. As a program that has won educational awards and been replicated across the nation, it could be an important bridge between the public, teachers, and students (who suffer from misconceptions) and industry (subject to the public who purchase products and create legislation). But is Wood Magic positively impacting opinions about forest industry and educating student, teacher, and parent participants of the program? Are the messages of the program being consistently sent and retained by the receivers? The answers can be found by performing a historical analysis of the program and then evaluating findings according to the Elaboration Likelihood Model and the marketing concept of branding.; The objective of this historical analysis was to measure education ability, anchoring, frequency, and consistency among WMSF affiliates, and to perform an internal and external communications analysis in order to determine if Wood Magic encouraged cognitive elaboration on the part of program participants and if the three concepts of branding were enacted during program operation. The results of this research suggest that Wood Magic is developing a positive brand identity with regard to forest industry. The programs are increasing the presumed value of forest industry in the minds of those exposed to Wood Magic. Most importantly, Wood Magic serves as a small, but growing voice for forest industry, creating a public loyal to the ideas that wood products are usable, valuable, and sustainable.