Covington Partners
The fifth-grade students at Ninth District Elementary proposed the idea early in the year that they would like to start a fundraiser to buy lockers. The key topic of discussion was that they would be moving on to the middle school with no experience using lockers and locks.
In addition, the students wanted to use the lockers for storage. So, students organized a group and proposed the idea to the school’s CLC coordinator, Julie Muehlenkamp.
Using the enthusiasm generated by this idea, the next step was to propose a plan to the principal. Students were each assigned a job to help determine cost and placement of lockers. After much research (and sticker shock from the cost of getting each student their own locker), the group decided they wanted to try and raise enough money to purchase one locker per classroom rather than per student. The proposal was written and given to the principal.
After approval of the fundraiser, the money-generating ideas started flowing.
While meeting with Ms. Muehlenkamp regarding character strengths, one student suggested how she could use her own character strengths to reach a new goal. With excitement, she began talking about her love of using creativity (one of her top character strengths as indicated by the VIA character strength survey) by making bracelets and keychains with beads to sell to friends. Another top character strength of the student, teamwork, was also used in creating her goal: Use her strength of working with a team and eye for creativity to lead a student group, which would make bracelets and keychains to sell in an effort to raise money for the locker fundraiser.
This student-led project has taken off like wildfire, and the timing could not have been better. With the Cincinnati Bengals making their historic playoff run to the Super Bowl, orders for Bengals bracelets were coming in faster than the students could make. One of the bracelets even made an appearance at the Super Bowl in Los Angeles.
Students have willingly given up recess time to work on making the items to sell. They love counting the profits and using math skills to figure out how many bracelets they have left to sell until they reach enough money for the first locker.
The power in listening to student voices and setting goals with students based on their strengths has gone well beyond bracelets and lockers.
This class is going to leave behind a legacy for future classes — one they will remember each time they practice opening a locker combination at Ninth District Elementary School.