The Warriors Incentive Rewards program is a new program that recently started as a way to commend and recognize students for their hard work and dedication in school, and teachers are encouraged to submit nominations throughout the next couple months.
The reason the program was started was to try and encourage students to perform better academically, maintain attendance goals, perform community service acts and behave positively.
College Access Navigator Sylvia Phillips is bringing the program to Warren after finding success with it at her previous job.
“During my time at IPS, we needed a way to shift the culture of our school, so I collaborated with some of my community partners, and the ‘Empowering Minds Initiative’ was born,” Phillips said. “It had great success at the schools in IPS, improving academics and behavior, so I thought it would be beneficial to bring it to Warren with a new name that resonates with our school community.”
In order to be eligible for a nomination, students must maintain a C average or better and must have a 90% attendance rate with no suspensions or expulsions.
Senior students also have additional requirements with them having to have FAFSA filed or having a waiver submitted and having all scholar track tasks completed, which only applies to 21st century scholars.
Students who meet this criteria can be nominated for the program by any teacher, counselor or coach, with the student being able to be nominated more than once.
Students who are nominated and win will earn a prize, with freshman, sophomore and junior students winning tablets and senior students winning laptops. There will only be four winners per grade level. The program will include all students no matter their diploma track, except for life skills students. Although life skills students are not included in this program, they are conducting their own rewards program with criteria and prizes designed specifically for them.
Prizes will be distributed during the week of May 12, and the students who win will have to be present at school in order to win and receive their prizes. The program is currently planned to continue annually, with other potential prizes like gaming consoles and TVs currently being reviewed and considered as prizes.