For many students who love to compete in school, there are a few awards that are usually coveted by most, such as best athlete, valedictorian, or subject-specific awards. However there are a lot of other creative ways to reach out to students who have put in the effort and also deserve recognition!
Trophies and awards don’t have to only recognize students at the extreme, because many students do actually care about their work while balancing other important parts of life such as spending time with family and friends or gaining work experience.
Let’s see how we can reward and continue to encourage those who approach their school work and life with creativity and balance:
Award Student Civics
School is not just about academics, sports, and competition; it’s also training for life beyond the classrooms. Those who have taken part in improving the school, including the student body, teachers, and administrators, should be recognized as well.
You can probably think of students who fit under this category, but since civics is not often considered important enough to award on its own as it’s not an obvious trait to look for. Adding an award in this category will allow students to be showcased who would have otherwise walked away empty handed.
The Well-Rounded Student
The valedictorian can be seen as covering this area, but it’s often based on highest grades. Instead, you can look for students who have a diverse set of interests, and whose excellence may not be captured by grades.
Look for students who participate in areas of interest that may or may not be held in the school. For example, acknowledge a student who likes physics and art, or one who shows interest in both shop class and multimedia. It helps students break out of traditional moulds of who they should be.
Rewarding Effort
There is something to be said about cultivating skills and interests, but for everyone else who struggles with both, it’s important to encourage them to continue their efforts.
Showing up consistently and on time, taking notes, or forming study groups are all demonstrations that they’re taking school seriously. Instead of simply awarding attendance, you can look for a combination of indicators showing that real effort was invested in learning and improving themselves.
Mentorship Award
Many famous athletes, artists, and academics can attribute their success to someone who gave them great advice at some point in their career. Mentors are key to learning more efficiently, so these key members of the student body should not be overlooked.
By choosing to award students for their efforts, you are cultivating the types of adults you want to see in the future. Be sure to stick to objective categories in order to avoid popularity contests and favouritism!
Contact the staff at Hoult and Hellewell for help in creating these unique and personal awards for your student body today!
