With Its Schoolys Initiative, Elite Media Cements Its Stance as an Agency of Change 

Every year in June, agency and C-Suite brand execs, along with a motley crew of celebrities, influencers, media and tech companies and others descend on the South of France to spend the week–and anywhere between five and six figures–obsessing over awards, “power networking,” and posting selfies and “usies” with picturesque backdrops on LinkedIn with profound musings about their “key takeaways.”

Chris Crawford decided to stay home and invest the money his agency would’ve spent “doing” Cannes on something different…and what he hopes to be significantly more impactful in the industry and the years and generations to come.

As his counterparts converged on the Croisette for Cannes Lions and indulged in rose and lavish celeb-filled events, the Elite Media founder and his team were busy working on their own event to announce “the Schoolys,” the Harlem-based Black-owned and women-led agency’s newest program derived from its impact-based model. 

The program, which “adopts” a local public school and rewards them with a $150,000 “self care” grant, was conceived as a way to “give back” to the community–which Crawford holds near and dear to his heart as a native Harlemite whose roots in the neighborhood run deep.

“This company was started in Harlem in a one-bedroom apartment on 131st street,” Crawford told IAN. “We love this community. [It] has helped us and nurtured us. And as we grow–we’re in our 11th year–we always felt like ‘giving back’ wasn’t something you do when you get to a mountaintop. I think we can all climb and put people with us as we go.”    

For its inaugural bow, the agency partnered with Teachers College Community School (TCCS), a small public school in the heart of Harlem, and its principal, Michelle Verdiner, endearingly known to her staff and students as “Ms. V.” After an initial outreach in the fall at the beginning of the school year, Crawford and Verdiner began planning the distribution of the grant, which would be given to the school’s 50 full-time staffers, with each receiving $3,000 and a very clear directive to spend it on self-care and career development for themselves.    

“You get a grant, and you get a grant…”

On June 25, the penultimate day of the school year, the team surprised the unsuspecting staff of teachers, custodians, teacher’s aides, admin and cafeteria workers–who thought they were just having their regular annual sendoff for the students–with a full-blown event honoring them for their dedication in a time when their profession continues to be embattled. 

In a gymnasium filled with balloons, individual posters with their faces and a smattering of cameras and local politicians from community boards 9 and 10, the UFT, the Manhattan borough president’s office and the mayor’s office, the staffers were given trophies by members of the school’s graduating class before CBS News’ CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King (who also ran an exclusive segment on the partnership) arrived to make the big monetary reveal while channeling longtime bestie, Oprah Winfrey.    

A mobile billboard saluting the staff was also on display in the neighborhood.

Staying the course

For Verdiner, the Schoolys partnership couldn’t have come at a better time, with teacher retention at an all-time low and turnover at a jarring high, with a reported 23% of teachers leaving the profession in 2023 as educators face increased political attacks, excruciating budget cuts and other challenges.

“The essence of [this event] was about celebrating the staff who show up everyday,” Verdiner told IAN. “I have an amazing staff, and being an educator is very difficult and hard, but it’s so needed because they’re rearing our future leaders. Our future politicians. Doctors. Teachers. Parents. And so, it’s really nice to have an opportunity to say ‘Thank you’ in a big way.”

She continued, “I’m so honored that our school was chosen. Just to be an exemplar of what a partnership with local businesses could do. I’m really excited to see where this partnership goes.”    

Crawford, whose father taught at P.S. 28 in Harlem, shares that excitement and hopes the initiative inspires other businesses, organizations and individuals to “use their own gifts to solve challenges in their communities.” As part of the partnership, Elite will also work with TCCS to address additional needs for the school, including renovations.

“When I asked the principle, Ms. V., what she needed, she gave me a list,” said Crawford. “And when she gave me that list, it was more than just things. She talked about all the ways in which she wanted to support and protect the people. And as a leader, I thought there were so many great notes I could take from that, and I wanted to make sure that we were trying to figure out a way to pour into that.”

Awards vs. Rewards

For the Elite Media team, allotting a portion of their operating budget to invest in the community as opposed to partaking in the Cannes awards circuit and revelry was a no-brainer, with Crawford telling IAN investments in the community lead to value tenfold for the agency and put out a call to action for other agencies to follow suit. 

“Let’s get radical with how we challenge each other,” he said. “Not to take poses in front of trophies. But let’s say who changed the most [in terms of impact], right? You can’t change the world if you can’t change the block. How can we sit there and try to outbid each other? I’d love to have that contest! That’s where I’d love for us to put less of our ego into shiny things that cost you thousands of dollars to buy even after you win them. 

But what happens when you invest that in people? Your bid and support might be the difference in them shining, showing up, glowing and feeling affirmed, nurtured, and [desire to] keep going!”

Watch Gayle’s CBS Morning segment below and learn more about The Schoolys and how you can get involved with partnering with a local school here.