I got a great message from Alisha at the public library in Eau Claire in response to a recent blog post about incentives (THANKS, Alisha!). She’s trying out an exciting new incentive program for the Summer Library Program:
I decided to try something new this year in addition to our regular SLP prizes (which usually includes coupons from Culver’s, Dairy Queen, YMCA day passes, train rides in Carson Park, baseball tickets, etc). I contacted a local bank to ask if they would sponsor a Charity Challenge as part of our summer library program…and they agreed! Their donation will be based on what the children designate to be donated up to a certain amount. I’ve read about other libraries doing this and they all seemed to receive a great response to it, so I’m hoping ours will as well.
Our SLP theme this year is space, so there will be a large outer space scene in Youth Services to promote the Charity Challenge. The goal is for the kids and teens to fill the space display with 500 star stickers to reach the bank’s highest donation amount. Kids and teens who complete a number of set literacy activities/games will earn one star sticker for the display, those who complete a writing activity will earn 2 stickers (and the opportunity to display it in YS for others to read), and if they choose to exchange one of their reading prizes for a donation to the charity they can earn 3 star stickers.
My plan is to provide options for participation in the Charity Challenge that both teach kids and teens the importance of giving and support our literacy goals for SLP. Our designated charity will be the Give-a-Kid-a-Book Project run by the Friends of the Library. This project placed books in the hands of almost 5,000 children this last holiday season who otherwise might not have been able to own their own book. We also plan to show the SLP participants how their “donations” through participation in the Charity Challenge equates to the number of books that can be purchased.
Isn’t that cool? Has anyone else tried a project like this? How did it go over?