Education experts are concerned about a growing trend of corporate contests in which students must essentially advertise products to win, but teachers at Ditmas Junior High School argue that their school could use the prizes. NY1’s Lindsey Christ filed the following report.

At Ditmas Junior High School, 95 percent of the students live below the poverty line and the school budget is shrinking, but there is a group of teachers who come in early and work late every day looking for ways to bring more to their students.

Their work may pay off: The school is a finalist in an international competition with $75,000 of classroom technology at stake.

As part of the competition, students submitted a music video explaining why they need “eInstruction” technology. eInstruction is the contest’s sponsor, and entries have to include the company name, show the company logo, and show an image of one of its products.

The school wins if it gets the most people to sign onto the company website and vote.

“It becomes a popularity contest, trying to convince children, parents, adults, neighborhood community members to go on and vote,” said Barry Kevorkian, the school’s principal. “It's advertising for them, and they’re giving us a small portion of what they make from advertising. Just a small portion.”

But teachers at schools like Ditmas say they need to keep doing more with less, so they make sure to figure out how to make it positive for their students.

“They get great exposure, they get to know something, they get to carry something with them to high school,” said teacher Michael Downes.

“It was very fun, it was exciting. I've never done something like this before,” said student Brianna Campbell.

Education experts say the growing trend of companies that hold contests like this and ask schools to promote products and bring thousands of people to corporate websites is troubling.

“Private corporations [are] being able to influence a captive audience of our young children in an institution where parents think they are safe in sending their children to get an objective education,” said Michael Rebell of Columbia University’s Teachers College.

At Ditmas, the teachers and students say they really could use this prize, and they've worked very hard to win.

“We're hoping,” said teacher Angelo Carideo. “We have our fingers crossed.”