How Local Businesses Can Sponsor a Science Assembly for Wisconsin Kids

Every year, Wisconsin schools make hard choices about enrichment programming. Field trips get cut. Science assemblies get pushed to next year. Budget meetings happen, and the experiences that make kids fall in love with learning are the first things to go.

Local businesses can change that. And it costs less than you might think.

What Does It Mean to Sponsor a School Program?

When a business sponsors a Forest Whales program, they're funding a full day of hands-on marine science and paleontology for an entire school, sometimes 400 or 500 kids in a single day.

That means every student in the building holds a Megalodon tooth and touches an orca skull. Every student walks inside a 56-foot inflatable gray whale named Clara. Every student goes home with a real fossil shark tooth and something to talk about at dinner.

The school gets an experience they couldn't afford on their own. The sponsor gets genuine community recognition and the satisfaction of knowing exactly what their investment produced.

It's not an abstract donation. It's a specific story: your business brought the ocean to 480 kids in (your town here) on a Tuesday in October.

Who Sponsors Programs Like This?

The businesses that tend to get the most out of community sponsorships are the ones whose customers are also community members, like local banks and credit unions, healthcare systems, insurance agencies, family-owned businesses, and manufacturers who want to invest in the next generation of Wisconsin workers.

Corporate foundations are another strong fit. Many large Wisconsin employers have community benefit budgets specifically designated for STEM education and youth programming. If your company has a foundation or a community giving program, a Forest Whales sponsorship is exactly the kind of investment those programs are designed for.

Libraries and schools also have relationships with local community foundations that accept donor-directed gifts. If you want your sponsorship to support a specific community or school, that path exists.

What Does a Sponsor Receive?

Forest Whales sponsorships are built around genuine recognition, not logo placement on an inflatable whale.

Here's what sponsors receive depending on their level of investment:

Shoreline Sponsor — $1,000 Named community sponsor for one program event, recognition in the Whale Mail newsletter, social media recognition post, and an impact summary.

Open Water Sponsor — $2,500 Co-funds one full school or library program, named recognition in all program materials during those visits, a Whale Mail newsletter feature, social media recognition, and an impact summary with attendance figures.

Deep Dive Sponsor — $5,000 Funds two full programs, named recognition across all materials, a feature story in Whale Mail, dedicated social media posts, mention in any related press coverage, an impact summary, and a personal thank-you video from Dave and Clara.

Custom arrangements are always welcome. If you have a specific school, library, or community in mind, we'll build something around it.

Why This Kind of Sponsorship Works

Most sponsorship opportunities ask businesses to put their logo somewhere and hope someone notices. Forest Whales is different because the impact is immediate, visible, and easy to communicate.

When your business sponsors a program, you know exactly how many kids were in the room. You know which school it was. You have a story to tell in your newsletter, on your website, and in your community, not just an impression count or a banner placement.

The kids who walk inside Clara and hold a narwhal tusk for the first time remember that day. Their parents remember that your business made it possible.

That's not an advertisement. That's a relationship.

How to Get Started

Forest Whales is currently booking programs across Wisconsin and the Midwest through 2026 and 2027. Sponsorship opportunities are tied to specific programs and communities, and availability is limited.

If you're interested in sponsoring a program or if you know a school or library that could use one, reach out through forestwhales.com. We'd love to tell you more about what's available in your community.

Clara would love to visit your town.