The Challenge Program, Inc. is a motivational program for all students grades 10-12 with a mission to motivate students to develop the habits required to succeed in school and in their careers, by building business/education partnerships.
Here's how it works:
Program Orientation
The Challenge Program, Inc. connects each school with a local community business partner who sponsors the program in the school for the year.
- During the fall, TCP and your school’s business partner host a virtual kick-off assembly for students to learn about the program, introduce the five award categories and connect academic success to career readiness.
Career Readiness and Workforce Development
Activities such as interviews, presentations, tours, and business partner weeks will be planned for students and educators.
- Students and educators will learn about local career options and the training and/or education required for these jobs.
Award Accomplishment
Through the sponsorship of your business partner, 15 awards are presented to the students each school year.
- 5 seniors, 5 juniors and 5 sophomores from your school will receive a $200 check in their name. Seniors are awarded in the spring. Sophomores and juniors are awarded in the fall.
TCP Award Criteria
This award is given to students with zero absences. If there are no students in a grade with zero absences, students with the least number of absences in accordance with their school’s absentee policy are eligible for the attendance award.
TCP defers policies and criteria for attendance to educators.
The student who is ranked #1 in a high school’s specific curriculum for science, technology, engineering or math (introductory, intermediate, advanced, college or honors).
For an AVTS/CTC, this would be the #1 student in science, technology, engineering or math curriculum (cosmetology, graphic arts, construction, carpentry, IT, healthcare, etc.)
Students who complete community service hours and turn them into their school are eligible for the community service award. Forms must be signed by the organization or individual for whom the service was provided.
The upper 10% of students with the greatest increase in their GPA from the previous year to the current year ending, regardless of their beginning GPA, are eligible for the academic improvement award. This award gives struggling students an opportunity to improve their habits and their grades.
Students in the top 10% with the highest overall GPA from the beginning to the end of the current school term are eligible for the academic excellence award.
Selecting Award Recipients
Through the sponsorship of the Business Partner, 15 awards are presented to the students for the school year. Students are challenged to earn a cash incentive in each of the five categories. 5 seniors, 5 juniors, and 5 sophomores will receive a $200 check in their name, per school.
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Seniors' grades and service hours are calculated from the 1st to the 3rd marking periods. Seniors receive their TCP awards before graduation in the spring, typically at your school's senior award ceremony.
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Juniors' and sophomores' grades and service hours are calculated from the 1st to 4th marking periods. Juniors and sophomores typically receive their awards at the TCP assembly the following fall.
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Award finalists are selected from the top 10% students who meet the criteria of an award category.
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TCP requests that the award finalists take a survey. Once the survey is completed, the finalist will be given a confirmation code. As proof of completion, students should write down their name and confirmation code and give/email it to the educator in charge.
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The educator in charge will gather the papers with the students' names and place them in a drawing for the appropriate award category. If a student qualifies for more than one category, simply reuse or copy their paper.
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To submit the names of the award recipients, TCP will email you a link for a form.
Student of the Year
Every year, The Challenge Program, Inc. hosts a Student of the Year competition. To enter, students submit an entry to explain how The Challenge Program, Inc. and their business partner helped them and to answer the questions "Why Not Me? Why Not Now?"
The Student of the Year is named at our annual Crystal Owl Gala and awarded $1,500! The top 3 finalists are awarded $1,000 and the top 10 is award $100.
We ask educators to encourage their students to enter the Student of the Year program and ask them "Why Not You? Why Not Now?"
