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Many parents would say that being an exceptional student with admirable character traits is a reward in its own. Teenagers would very likely say driving anicer car than their school principal is a much better incentive to be an upstanding pupil and active young citizen.
Erindale Secondary School in Mississauga is set to launch its Character Counts Awards Program for all Grade 12 students. The pupil that shows the mostcommitment to school and who takes the most active role in the community by putting in more than the required 40 hours of volunteer service will receive anextraordinary reward.
The prize?
A brand new red Mustang, worth about $30,000.
"This is not an academic award, although character supports academics, we made the baseline for the application at 60 per cent, so anybody goingworkplace, going apprenticeship, going university or college bound is open to this," school principal Sue Turner said.
"What we're doing as a school is raising the bar for every student."
Turner will be keeping close track of how this reward program changes student culture in the school and plans to report her findings to the board.
"We want everybody in class, we want 100 percent graduation … and so here's an innovative way," Turner said.
Erinwood Ford will provide a car for this initiative every year for the next five years.
"It motivates people to actually do good because they know they're getting something back," Grade 12 student Anum said.
"Every action deserves a reward, so I think it's a good program," another Grade 12 student, Khaldeen, said.
This interesting incentive program has drawn various reactions. Some believe this type of outside-the-box strategy will inspire young people to be the bestcitizens and students they can, while others, including Mike D'Ambro of Youthography, think it places too much emphasis on material goods instead ofcharacter building.
"To have a car that is a symbol of you are somehow a more ethical, moral, giving, generous person than someone else -- imagine the person who comessecond, walking past their high school parking lot seeing the car that is the symbol of how they are not as good as somebody else," he said.
http://www.citytv.com/tor...haracter-with-sports-car
Mississauga is in Ontario, Canada
Erindale Secondary School in Mississauga is set to launch its Character Counts Awards Program for all Grade 12 students. The pupil that shows the mostcommitment to school and who takes the most active role in the community by putting in more than the required 40 hours of volunteer service will receive anextraordinary reward.
The prize?
A brand new red Mustang, worth about $30,000.
"This is not an academic award, although character supports academics, we made the baseline for the application at 60 per cent, so anybody goingworkplace, going apprenticeship, going university or college bound is open to this," school principal Sue Turner said.
"What we're doing as a school is raising the bar for every student."
Turner will be keeping close track of how this reward program changes student culture in the school and plans to report her findings to the board.
"We want everybody in class, we want 100 percent graduation … and so here's an innovative way," Turner said.
Erinwood Ford will provide a car for this initiative every year for the next five years.
"It motivates people to actually do good because they know they're getting something back," Grade 12 student Anum said.
"Every action deserves a reward, so I think it's a good program," another Grade 12 student, Khaldeen, said.
This interesting incentive program has drawn various reactions. Some believe this type of outside-the-box strategy will inspire young people to be the bestcitizens and students they can, while others, including Mike D'Ambro of Youthography, think it places too much emphasis on material goods instead ofcharacter building.
"To have a car that is a symbol of you are somehow a more ethical, moral, giving, generous person than someone else -- imagine the person who comessecond, walking past their high school parking lot seeing the car that is the symbol of how they are not as good as somebody else," he said.
http://www.citytv.com/tor...haracter-with-sports-car
Mississauga is in Ontario, Canada
