The sixth annual MREF Race Around the World for Education

The Marketing Research Education Foundation (MREF) is excited to hold the sixth annual Race Around the World for Education! This fundraiser is a virtual race to help educate children around the world. This year, the initiative will focus on social and emotional learning through strengthening mental health, building coping skills, and fostering meaningful connections.

The MREF supports programs in underserved communities to provide the youth with access to learning experiences to develop problem-solving, leadership, and emotional regulation. The MREF directly impacts these communities, providing quality education and mentorship to those who may not otherwise have access. The 2026 grantees will be announced close to the start of the race.

During the race, participants will log the miles they walk, bike, swim, and run during the month of May – 31 days to complete a virtual race around the world and raise $65,000 to support global education for youth.

Everyone is invited to participate in the race. While most participants hail from marketing research companies, we welcome their friends, families, partners, neighbors, and children to join. More participants mean more support for children in need!

Fun facts about the race:

• Participants will log their miles on the race website as individuals or part of a company team and will be able to see their progress compared to others in the industry.

• All participants will receive a customized race bib and number that can be downloaded and printed as desired.

• Participants will receive milestone badges when they reach goals (number of miles walked, etc.).

• There is an easy portal to share photos and encourage each other!

  
  

Some key facts about global education:

• Students participating in social emotional learning (SEL) have higher grades, test scores, attendance, and homework completion (Source: Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning).

• Years after SEL participation, students’ academic performance was an average of 13% higher than their counterparts (Source: Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning).

• SEL is critical to developing competencies besides academic content knowledge that are necessary to succeed in college and in careers (Source: National Education Association).

• For every dollar spent on SEL programs in schools, there is an average return of $11 worth of benefits, according to a 2015 study by the Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education at Columbia University’s Teachers College.

Sponsor a team

Become a sponsor to support children in need and engage your employees in this virtual race around the world. When you become a sponsor, you gain a company team that your employees can join to log their miles, share photos of their race, and compare their team’s progress to other companies in the industry. Additionally, sponsors will be named on the race and MREF websites, in a thank you ad in Quirk’s magazine following the race, and in the social media campaign leading up to and during the race.

To learn more about becoming a company sponsor, please reach out to MREF Administrator, Alana Gates at alana@mrgivesback.org.