Being young leaders through academic achievement.

Bring Up Grades, or BUG is a program designed to provide recognition to students who raise their grades to an acceptable range, and maintain or continue to raise them from one grading period to the next. Recognition includes being placed on the school's BUG Honor Roll; a pizza, ice cream, or other food-themed party; and presentation of certificates, pins, and other giveaways.

A sponsoring club helps support the BUG program at the school. The club plans BUG recognition events, provides awards, and establishes partnerships with local community businesses to secure support for the program. Sponsoring businesses have the option of providing coupons, giveaways, or food for BUG parties.

The teacher establishes a base line grade for each student during the first grading period. Students are honored each grading period thereafter if they maintain their grades and raise one grade.

A SUPER BUG also is honored as part of this program. A SUPER BUG is a student who served as a mentor assisting others in achieving their goals of bringing up one grade.

Though this program was created for the traditional A, B, C grading system, it can be adapted to work with any type of grading system. Example: Increasing a mark from U-Unsatisfactory, to N-Needs Improvement, or raising a mark from N-Needs Improvement, to S-Satisfactory would qualify a student for recognition.

The program was created for use in a school setting, but a community center or agency supporting youth could use this program to encourage academic achievement. The designated program coordinator would recognize participants when report card grades are shared and it is noted that a grade has been raised.

Bring Up Grades (BUG) -
Questions and Answers

What is the best way to approach the elementary school about sponsoring Bring Up Grades?

Several Kiwanis clubs have been very successful at presenting the program to the school after volunteering at the school through other means. Often times Kiwanis club, Key Club, or Circle K members volunteer to read to children at the school. This is a great way to develop a relationship with the students, and school staff. As a result, when club members approach the principal with the idea of establishing a Bring Up Grades program it is seriously considered. (Remember to order the Kiwanis Kids Introductory Kit to use when presenting the idea to the elementary school principal.)

The school principal may tell the Kiwanis family volunteer that the school district superintendent needs to approve the program. If this is the case, request contact information for this individual, call and schedule a meeting, and hopefully the superintendent will see the benefits of conducting such a program in the school. If the superintendent is really impressed with the program he/she might ask your club to make a presentation to all the elementary school principals in the district. So make sure your club has the manpower to this if this opportunity should arise. If you need additional help providing programs to various schools in the district communicate with the clubs in your area, Kiwanis, Key Club, and Circle K. Any of these Kiwanis family clubs can sponsor the Bring Up Grades program in a school.

A big key to obtaining support for Bring Up Grades is educating the (Parent Teacher Organization) PTO at the school. Make a presentation and gain support from this group. Try to work hand in hand to build relationships with business sponsors the PTO is interested in approaching. It’s a win, win situation for everyone.

After the school principal and PTO have welcomed you. You’re ready to start the program. Call Kiwanis International and order the Bring Up Grades program kit.

How do we approach a business sponsor about supporting the program at the school?

After you receive commitment from your club members and the school it’s time to solicit assistance from a local business sponsor. The Kiwanis Kids promotional brochure will come in handy when speaking with the business sponsor. Explain how students receive recognition for academic achievement and talk about the recognition party and how you envision the sponsor offering assistance. Provide options for providing support. The business sponsor might want to provide give-a-ways such as coupons, or actual store promotional items that can be used as gifts. The sponsor may choose to provide funding or actual food for the recognition party.

Give the business sponsor an idea of how often students will be recognized and how the club intends to publicize the program.

Provide examples of how the business sponsor’s name will be promoted. Here are some options. The club can order personalized bumper stickers from Kiwanis International. The business sponsor’s name is added to the bumper stickers. This means that every child honored with the BUG award will give the bumper sticker to his/her parents, who will display the bumper sticker on one of the family cars.

Display the business sponsor’s name on the Bring Up Grades bulletin board, in the school’s newsletter, on the school’s Web site, in the school’s yearbook, and include information in news releases sent to local media.

Order I love BUGs T-shirts and have a local T-shirt shop personalize the T-shirts with the business sponsor’s name on the back.

School staff may have ideas about businesses they would like to partner with, or the PTO may have suggestions.

It’s a good idea to research which businesses provide special funding for community service. A quick Web site search should provide this information. These businesses might be more inclined to provide support.

What suggestions do you have to thank business sponsors?

After a period of time you may want to send a special thank you to your business sponsor. Ask the latest group of BUG recipients to create thank you cards. Send the thank you cards to the business sponsor.

When sending news releases to local media about Bring Up Grades always mention the business sponsors name. If the news release is published in the newspaper, send a copy of the newspaper article with a thank you note to the business sponsor.

Invite the business sponsor to a special school ceremony to say thank you. Present the business sponsor with a gift. The Kiwanis Family Store has fun, affordable gifts available for purchase.

Make point to take photos of the event. The photograph can be embellished and used as another gift. Purchase a frame with a large border (available at any dollar store), ask all the BUG recipients sign the photograph border, place the photo in the picture frame, and now you have a personalized gift to present at a later time.

What have Kiwanis clubs, and teachers experienced by as a result of implementing the Bring Up Grades Program?

The feedback I have received to date is that students enjoy participating in the decision process of establishing a goal of increasing one grade and therefore are very motivated about studying to increase this grade.

Teachers comment that an achievable goal to raise one grade during a grading period helps students focus. They work more diligently because they want to be placed on the BUG Honor Roll.

The program provides an opportunity for teachers to recognize students that may not normally receive recognition for academic achievement.

How does one address the issue of children in a class who do not achieve their goal and improve one grade?

When a student doesn’t achieve their goal of raising one grade, the teacher should sit down and talk with the student about difficulties, which prevented the student from achieving his/her goal. After challenges preventing success are identified, the student and teacher should sit down together and make a list of what can be done differently during the next three weeks to accomplish the original goal. (This would be the perfect time to talk about the importance of perseverance.) The key is to provide the student with a positive learning experience as a result of failing at a task. Rather than focusing on failing, the student focuses on what he/she can change in order to be successful during the next grading period.

Perhaps the teacher has one student who is unable to raise his/her grades to be placed on the BUG Honor Roll, the student still has the opportunity to be honored as a Super BUG. Super BUGs are students who assist others in accomplishing their goals. They go out of their way to help others and therefore are honored by the virtue that they helped someone else understand so they were able to achieve.

Please submit questions, comments about conducting the Bring Up Grades program, and success stories to Lisa Pyron.