The Elks Love Kids of Character Impact Grant project continues to push the Vero Beach Elementary (VBE) School students forward. Their wampum reward system has been a driving force behind the school’s success in getting the students on track for positive behavior by raising the awareness that character counts and getting good grades are important for success. Teachers are using the wampum reward system in the classroom to redirect behavior and focus.
Students are rewarded for good grades, politeness, sharing, following directions, focus and good behavior. The lodge goal has been to help the school with behavior problems, morale and grades by funding their positive-behavior store, named Elks Love Kids of Character Store, with meaningful rewards that also help struggling households by providing school supplies, engaging toys and snacks.
The Impact Grant from the Elks National Foundation also provides 200 free uniforms for underprivileged students. This school has 90% of its population living in poverty. The lodge feels the children are victims of circumstance and new uniforms lift their spirits to do well and take the financial pressure off the parents struggling to pay bills.
In May 2017, we added free books to the program. Books are a rare commodity in a household where money is tight. The Elks collect children’s books at the lodge and distribute them to the children as they exit the store. This year they have collected and distributed over 300 children’s books so far.
With the Lodge’s third Impact Grant and we finally saw some significant results:
• Grades have gone up in math 16% and 10% in reading this year.
• Behavior has improved; there is an overall 92% decrease from last year.
• The school grade is now rated a high C; three years prior it was rated F.
• Teachers were leaving the school because of behavior issues but now they are staying.
• Elk volunteers are really stepping up to help the school more than ever.
• Students know the community cares about them because of this program.
• Morale is up and students like coming to school.
Since the school store opened one month late 2017 due to Hurricane Irma and Shoe Carnival picked up the price of buying the homeless kids sneakers for school, we had a little surplus in the grant fund budget. With blessings from Elks National Foundation, this surplus was used to purchase 56 Walmart Gift Cards valued at $25 each for every child from VBE living at the Hope for Families Shelter for Christmas. Christmas cards were written out and signed from the Vero Beach Elks.
Photo caption from left to right: Helping to distribute the gift cards are Kathi Karinja and Margaret Hearndon – from Vero Beach Elementary, Michele Klager from the Vero Beach Elks, Debra Catapano from the Hope for Families Center homeless family shelter.
As part of our Elks initiative to promote patriotism, 4th and 5th graders signed Christmas cards again to our soldiers serving in Afghanistan. They were sent to our troops as part of our Cookies for Soldiers program in December.
During to 2019-2020 school year we were able to expand the items stocked in our Positive Behavior Store. The PTA stocked our store with free books. Skate Factory donated Skating Passes for the kids to earn. Dollar Tree donated several large boxes of miscellaneous items to our cause. Pictured here with some of the items in the store are Debbie Roberts and Laurie McFadyen.
Our 2020-21 school year program was very challenging. Because of COVID-19 concerns, our team of volunteers did not have direct contact with the kids but we had a great plan in place to continue the program safely.
The Elk’s Love Kids of Character program wrapped up 2020-2021 school year at Vero Beach Elementary in May. The volunteers pictured here helped celebrate the 5th graders who graduated by handing out a few goodies from the Elks to the graduates. Some of these kids have participated in this positive behavior program their entire time at VBE. We haven’t had direct contact with the kids during this school year so it was exciting to see the kids again! Seeing the joy on the faces of the kids, the parents and the teachers was priceless. We look forward to starting up again in the Fall.
Even with the pandemic during the last school year, the program was a huge success. The 2021-2022 school year should be even better. Most of the kids are back at in-person learning and the school has done an excellent job of keeping everyone safe. Our volunteers follow all safety guidelines and do not have direct contact with the kids, as in the past, but the program is working out great for everyone.
The first “shopping” day for the kids began on Friday, September 17th. The kids fill out an order form using their digital wampums to buy items such as toys, food, toiletries and school supplies.
It is definitely a huge success as the kids, teachers, staff and our volunteers love this positive behavior program.
If anyone is interested in volunteering for this wonderful program, please contact Karen Guidry, Impact Grant Coordinator.
For background information on how this project got started see these posts from our website:
- Lodge Receives Another Impact Grant: November 5, 2015
- Elks Love Kids of Character- Survey Results: June 20, 2015
- Elks Grant $10,000 for Vero Beach Elementary: November 10, 2014
