Student Recognition Ideas & Tips

There are so many ways to recognize students, and there are equally as many people who love being recognized. A good recognition program works to recognize as many people as possible. Through recognition comes a stronger sense of community and self-importance. The ability to help build positive self-esteem is the most powerful tool a recognition program can provide.

Academic Recognition Ideas
Every quarter, or 10 weeks, recognize students who received a 3.0 GPA or higher, or students who have had perfect attendance. There are a variety of ways to reward these students. First, collect the data from counselors or appropriate staff member and compile the list of recipients. Then, make coupons for student government students to deliver. Rewards can include: key chains, lanyards, bracelets, t-shirts, ice cream social, magic shows, pantomimes, hypnotist, pizza feed, etc.

Rewards Program
The Associated Student Body sponsors a reward program to promote leadership/good citizenship by inviting students to an after-school pizza party. To participate, students must meet specific requirements, such as a 3.0 grade point average, no discipline referrals, and no tardies. A drawing for prizes that are either donated or purchased is always well-received. The prizes could include such things as SAT fees, Winter Formal tickets, spirit wear, and gift certificates.

Athlete of the Week
Each Monday, send your athletic commissioner to speak with the in-season varsity coaches. Ask the coaches to nominate an athlete of the week from their respective sport. Be sure to get a brief description of why the athlete was nominated. Announce the Athletes of the Week in your daily bulletin. As an added bonus, you can give out Athletes of the Week certificates and pre-made t-shirts. Keep track of your Athletes of the Week, because at the end of the year you can enter all of their names into a giant raffle for a cool prize.

Birthday Balloons
Birthday balloons are a great way to ensure that all students are somehow recognized as special and important to the school. At the beginning of the year, ask your registrar for a printout, by day, all of the students’ birthdays. Then, each day, have your birthday balloon committee deliver balloons to your birthday boys and girls. Students look forward to being recognized on their special day.

Citizens of the Month
Give each teacher five “Character Counts” coupons per month. The teachers can give these coupons to students in class when they exhibit one of the six pillars of the Character Counts Program (Respect, Caring, Citizenship, Trustworthiness, Responsibility, and Fairness). Students who have received a coupon can turn it into a determined location. At the end of each month, hold a drawing selecting a handful of coupons and reward the recipients with a prize (free items from the student store, spirit shirt, etc.).

Find Your Hart
Student leaders make a paper cutout heart for each student on campus. Each heart contains the student’s name, what makes them special, and a message of how important they are to the school. The students walk around during lunch to find their “heart.” Once they find their heart, they bring it in for a tasty treat surprise (candy).

Lunch with the Principal
To promote involvement, sponsor a monthly luncheon with the principal to discuss school issues. Randomly hand out invitations and provide a list of topics that would be discussed at the luncheon. Different groups of students are given tickets to represent students who either not involved in school or were apart of sports, clubs, or school organizations. The students have the chance to have their opinions heard, meet new students, and get to know their principal in an informal yet secure and safe environment.

Pass It On
Students are given a 3 x 5 index card, and write down it, “You make our high school a nicer place to be.” The student takes the card and passes it onto someone special. Then that person passes it onto someone else. The goal of the activity is to bring a smile to as many faces as possible.

Postcard Recognition Program
The postcard recognition program is a great way for staff to recognize students in class. Each month, place two stamped postcards in teachers’ boxes. The teachers fill out, address, and send out the cards to a student for special recognition. The students and parents enjoy opening the mail and receiving a positive note from a teacher.

Read All About It
There are a lot of students who are doing some pretty amazing things at your school. Many of these things are so great that they make the local newspaper. Create a bulletin board on your campus for all of the newspaper clippings that mention students at your school. Also, take your school’s newspaper and cut out the main articles and display them on your bulletin board.

Sidewalk Art Fair
A “Sidewalk Art Fair” is a great way to showcase the talents of your artists. Choose a day to display some of the cool art projects students have worked on throughout the year. Be sure to choose a location that has a lot of traffic. Include a street-painting competition for your artists. Ask teachers to come out and judge the works. Present winners of the show with special certificates and surprises.

Take a Student to Lunch Day
There is nothing more memorable for a young person than a teacher inviting his/her student to lunch. Organize a day, each semester, where student government sponsors “Take a Student to Lunch Day.” Give each teacher one invitation to give to a student in his/her class. The students who receive an invitation attend the luncheon with the teacher who invited them.

Wall of Fame Recognition Idea
Teachers nominate students each month for the Wall of Fame. Students are nominated for a variety of issues: good citizenship, improved attendance, academic excellence, and so forth. The teachers are asked to write down a brief narrative on a piece of paper stating why they nominated a student. These papers are then displayed on a prominent wall on campus.

You Got Caught Reward Program
When students are seen doing good deeds around campus, give them a “You Got Caught” certificate. The students can take their certificate and place it in a box for a weekly drawing. Students can receive certificates for a variety of reasons: picking up trash, helping a teacher or classmate, or going out of their way to do something nice for someone. Prizes can include: spirit wear, free food from the student store, a homework pass, or anything else that lets them know they are special. If you want, you can conduct the raffle once a quarter and give out bigger prizes.

It’s amazing how a little recognition can go a long way in making your school the best place to be.

This article is courtesy of ASB Director, LLC - Student Activities Resource, www.asbdirector.com.