APPEAL FOR SPONSORSHIP NATIONAL DEBATE FOR BASIC SCHOOL – THE BLAZER / THE SMARTY We write with humility to appeal for sponsorship for the National Debate for Basic School in the country. The franchise given to us by the Ghana Education Service is to develop the power of analytical thinking and the art of public speaking in our youth. The Debate set out in the attached proposals could also be a big boost to your august business as explained in the proposals. The budget for the programme as set out in the proposal alongside the direct and indirect benefits of sponsoring us. We are hopeful that you would be part of this historic event to lift up education at the basic level in the country. The project is to set off in May, 2011. Thanking you in anticipation of your expected favorable reply. Yours faithfully Vida Pearl Atakpa Project coordinator / Marketing Manageress CHILD’S EYE AND INFANT EYE IQ BLAZE 1ST NATIONAL BASIC SCHOOLS DEBATE 1. PREMABLE Our television and radio today offer a lot of entertainment for viewers and listeners. On the other score, most of these programmes do not lead viewers and listeners to exercise their thinking power, intellectual abilities and education. Such programmes appear to be very few especially for the youth as compared to entertainment programmes. The media is obviously there to entertain, educate and inform and to add to the modern trend to lead people to have critical minds. Sales statistics of the print media today, shows low levels of circulation depicting a low reading culture. The consequence is obvious – a knowledge – lacking society. Our research on the above shows that much as the youth love the on – going TV programmes, a chunk is looking for a programme which will challenge them to read, think, innovate and research into issues bothering on our social and economic development. It is to answer this and fill the yawing gap in our youth development that IQ Blaze has been convinced. The child’s eye and infant eye are popular basic school magazines – Published by Innovative Channels (Media Practitioners and Publishers). They are both recognized by the Ghana Educational Service and patronized by schools throughout the country. The underlining principles of the magazines are well researched facts and figures and the competitive nature of the quizzes carried out in each edition. The ideas came from expressions made known through these magazines by our basic education schools children. The competition is for now called ‘THE EYE IQ BLAZE’ pending title sponsors image IQ BLAZE is being organizes to give our basic school students the opportunity to express themselves, understand National and International issues, beef up the already stunning interest expressed in both the Child’s Eye and Infant Eye magazines by the Ghanaian Basic Child and to further extend the tentacles of the magazines’ service to the remaining regions of the country (Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions), all in the interest of quality basic education delivery and promotion. WHAT IS IT? It is a knowledge acquiring programme in a debate form. Debate calls for research and wide reading. Participating in the debate means that, the target group will be put on line to seek knowledge thereby giving the youth the power of leaning. IQ (Intelligence Quotient) Blaze is going to subject our up – coming leaders to a grueling challenge and interesting brain exercise. It presentation in the form of a Debate will also afford our prospective contestants the opportunity to improve upon their writing and control over the English Language. Qualified competing school shall debate among themselves till the eventual winning school is crowned. Initially only 128 school all over the country shall qualify to enter the competition. It shall run from the prelims through a league system and finally to the finals. There shall be prizes for all competitors form the quarter – final stage to the final. 2. TARGET The concept target Junior High School students. 3. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF IQ BLAZE Very simple – IQ BLAZE is an educative programme with the objectives and aims of: • Unearthing the literary and writing talent of the youth • Providing an avenue for research work for the Basic Education child • Re-kindling and inculcating the culture of reading into the youth • To mould a youth ready to take up the challenge of steering the affairs of the country to success. • To groom a youth ready to make productive discussions that will propel the nation forward. • A challenging time for our basic school (JHS) students, to give them critical and researching minds. • A new introduction to save our screens. 4. SELECTION PROCESS The Selection Process as agreed upon with the Ghana Education Service, who have okayed the project, are as follows: • Entry forms shall be delivered to each of the Regional Offices of the Ghana Education Service. • The Regional Officers in turn distributes to the schools in the Region and finally selects the first batch of participants. • The selection of competing school from the private sector shall be done in. At the end of the selection process; the first 128 schools shall be picked to begin the IQ Blaze. PROCEDURE PRELIMINARY The preliminary stage shall start at the Regional Level. After the preliminaries, the number will come to 64 since on one-on-one basis, 64 schools would be eliminated. SECOND PRELIMINARIES The second preliminaries would follow regions in pairs – This will bring the number to 32. THIRD PRELIMINARIES The new number, 32, would be pruned to 16 through the same process. FOURTH PRELIMINARIES The final 8 would be selected after this round to begin the real battle for the honour at stake. THE FINALBATTLE At this stage, the remaining schools would battle on league system. The top 2 shall battle for the top prize. The 3rd and 4th placed schools would also battle for the respective position. BALLOTING The balloting shall be done in such a way that it will run from the first preliminaries till the final 8 is gotten. The final 8 balloting will also be done separately. All shows shall be recorded and edited before there are shown on our screens. Every recording shall be chaired by a corporate sponsor in addition to the selected judges for the contest. 5. REPRESENTATION Each school shall be represented by two students with a third student standing by in case of any eventuality. 6. ORGANIZATION The Eye IQ Blaze shall be organized by Innovative Channels backed by a selected powerful Academic Team. The Team shall be in charge of coming out with topics, setting the marking scheme and basically be the Debate master. 7. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION The public shall contribute to the declaration of the result by voting from the quarter – final stage, but in reality, to maintain the high standard expected. Their contribution shall be 40% with the judges awarding 60%. Three topics shall be selected per week. The public shall be allowed to text the topic selection of the week for prizes. At the end of the week, all those who sent the correct answer by text shall go through a ballot system for the first three (3) to be rewarded. 8. JUDGES Judges shall be selected from different field of academia to ensure balance, fairness and accuracy in judgment. 9. TOPICS The topics for the debates would principally be centered on the following: • National Issues • Education • Sanitation • Development • School Administration • Africa and International Issues The selected topics shall be made available to competing school at least one week ( 7 days) before the day of competition. Every stage shall have one question for contestant to handle. 10. PERIOD/VENUE The first IQ Blaze show shall run for 24wks period. The venue for the IQ BLAZE competition shall be in the Regional Capitals, then to Kumasi and Accra and finally ending in Accra. On all, contestants have 5 minutes to make their argument. They will also have 3 minutes to make their last submissions. The judges also have 10 minutes to comment on the performance of the contestants. The last 15 minutes left would be devoted to sponsor/adverts. Therefore each show will last for 45 minutes. 11. PRIZES Prizes would be awarded to schools which enter the last 16. The last 8 would also get special prizes. The winning school shall receive a BIG PRIZE followed by the 2nd and 3rd prizes. The nature of the prize and its quantum would depend upon our sponsors’ profile. PRIZE PREFERENCES Despite the sponsor’s profile, the organizers would prefer prizes which would not only benefit the candidates/contestants but the school as well – beneficial and very attractive prizes. Scholarship, cash prizes, books laptops, etc. (for winning contestants). School bus or Computers plus designed (paid for) website/Internet services or E – toys facilities, etc. (for winning contestant school) BENEFITS OF SPONSORSHIP AS A COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY As a communication industry, there are numerous benefits to be enjoyed as a sponsor. As the competition enters quarter-final stages there shall be testing to support candidates and schools to win through Sms. Considering the fact that old boyism is a cherish virtue, the inflow of testing would be a big source of income to your communication company. This is one of the major reasons for you to sponsor the programme as title sponsor. 1. Throughout the programme, marketing officers from your company would be given the opportunity to promote your children product and any other, to the large audience expected to grace the occasions. They would have the chance to sell your products to the adult audience who could be moved by your presentations. This shall be done anywhere the competition comes off. 2. You shall enjoy media hype through the radio, television and newspapers through adverts that shall be placed to promote the Debate. 3. You shall enjoy venue decoration of your product, which shall be picked up by television cameras anytime, anywhere the Debate is organized. 4. Your corporate logo shall appear on all banners to be produced for the entire contest. 5. It is a corporate social responsibility towards Mother Ghana and more importantly, helping to uplift education especially at the basic level. 6. It is an opportunity to open your company – products and services to the up and coming generation for future benefits in terms of patronage. BUDGET FOR IQ BLAZE The budget requirement is for one session of the contest. The following are areas of Sponsorship seeking; PRIZES Prizes shall be given through-out the competition at every stage it shall always be in the following (1).Prizes a. Books b. Certificates c. Set of computers – final stage The budget here is Gh¢ 10,000 d. Cash prize. (2) Organization; These include cost of; - Renting of halls - Payment to judges - Advertising – print/electronic/promotion Gh¢ 12,000 (3) Entertainment/Refreshment Our proposed budget – Gh¢ 6,000 This is for the entire session. (4)Transport This budget is for the transport cost for participating Schools to Venues. Our budget Gh¢ 6000 Miscellaneous This is for situations and needs not catered for in the above and also to support any shortage in any set budget – Gh¢ 3500 Nature of Sponsorship The following categories of sponsorship are available Title sponsor (Gold) To bear the title of the entive entire project which goes with enjoyment of all promotion which would go with the project; eg. Floor decoration, staff would enjoy V.I. P treatment every where the project takes place. An opportunity to sell yourself doing the contest Sponsorship package. For the title Sponsorship (Gold) cut across the entire budget above. Diamond Sponsor Shall enjoy promotion packages throughout the competition. Shall enjoy product decoration at venues chance to promote your goods and services a minimum contribution of Gh¢ 8000 for the session. Bronze sponsor Bronze Sponsor shall enjoy some advertising and promotion spots which would go with the project. BUDGET – GH¢ 3000