Kids at Hope Day
A Pledge to Remember
Contest Rules
November 24, 2009
A Pledge to Remember
Kids at Hope is inviting all children and youth, schools, youth organizations, recreation departments and communities to be part of A Pledge to Remember - a celebration of National Kids at Hope Day held annually on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving (November 24, 2009).
To recognize this special day, Kids at Hope is encouraging all groups and communities to simultaneously recite the power of the Kids at Hope Pledge at 1:00 PM, Eastern Time; Noon, Central Time; 11:00 AM Mountain Time; and 10:00 AM Pacific Time on November 24, 2009 (Tuesday before Thanksgiving).
It is believed that the Kids at Hope Pledge is the second most recited pledge in American schools (after the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag). It is estimated that almost 500,000 children recite the Kids at Hope pledge in schools, YMCA's, Boys & Girls Clubs and other youth groups.
Contact your local media and let them know what you are
doing to celebrate your Kids at Hope!
We hope each of our partner schools, youth groups and entire communities, as well as other interested parties, join us in this very exciting declaration of our shared belief that all children can succeed, No Exceptions. We encourage our friends to invite their governors, mayors, supervisors, superintendents, directors and all caring adults to join in this remarkable event. Groups may even wish to follow the Kids at Hope Pledge by reciting the Treasure Hunter's Pledge. All groups participating will receive a special certificate commemorating their participation. In addition, a $500 cash gift will be awarded to the group, school or organization that best commemorates Kids at Hope Day. The winning group will also be featured on our website as well as future editions of Kids at Hope’s Newsvision magazine. There are additional prizes as well. See below for more information.
See below for Kids at Hope Day-A Pledge to Remember Contest Information.
There is no one right way to celebrate Kids at Hope Day. Get creative! Below are some suggestions from past Kids at Hope Day celebrations:
- TUNNEL OF HOPE: ALL school/organization staff, parents and community representatives position themselves at the beginning of a hallway or entrance creating a sort of tunnel of "OTHER CARING ADULTS" that children must walk through. As kids pass through the Tunnel of Hope shake their hands, give high fives, applaud, and let them know how important they are. Make the environment fun and festive with helium balloons, Kids at Hope stickers, t-shirts, banners, etc. We’ve even done this event at High Schools. It’s like greeting the football team as it takes the field. Why not do the same for all students as they pursue their educational goals. If it takes a village to raise and educate a child- invite the village.
- Choose an honorary Chief Treasure Hunter: a local celebrity, dignitary, community member, someone who personifies what Kids at Hope Day is all about. Honor them on Kids at Hope Day.
- Ask you school board to adopt a resolution making November 24, 2009 Pledge to Remember or Kids at Hope Day.
Click Here for a Sample Resolution
- Think about poster contests, door decorating contests, school assemblies, Future Day (highlighting all 4 Destination Points), reading and writing projects all designed to promote the concepts of hope, optimism and success in all students and youth, NO EXCEPTIONS
- Hold a Kids at Hope themed essay contest by grade or age level. Themes can range from "I am a Kid at Hope because..." to "Someone who believed in me more than I believed in myself..." Honor contest winners over announcements or in an assembly.
- Another idea might be to have staff wear t-shirts representing their alma mater. Or put up a GRADUATION DATES bulletin board with all kids COLLEGE graduation dates! -- High Expectations is the message here
- Anchor Parent breakfast/lunch – recognizing the most important adult in a child’s life
- Offer all children a Kids at Hope Report Card
- Use the Kids at Hope Passport to the Future which provides a framework for all children that helps them envision and plan for their futures
- Get your media involved. . . share with them your commitment to witnessing children as at hope rather than as at risk and what you are doing about it
Again, these are just sample ideas-the opportunities are endless!
At the end of the day all children should have experienced the following:
- Through the power of self talk, children and youth are affirming their positive belief in themselves and feel empowered to achieve their future
- An understanding that adults in their lives truly care about them. There are lots of ways to be smart that have equal value to the skills of reading, writing and math (think about emotional intelligence, moral intelligence) -recognize them
- Success isn't something, it is somewhere - in other words success is realized when children grow up and are prepared to contribute at each of life's destinations: home and family, education and career, community and service and hobbies and recreation
Kids at Hope/A Pledge to Remember Day Contest
Award Nomination Form -- Click Here
Order Commemorative Kids at Hope Pledge to Remember Day T-Shirt Here
Any questions please contact Kim at kim@kidsathope.org or 866-275 HOPE
Have Fun!
Videos
Kids at Hope Song - Westwind Primary Chorus, Phoenix, AZ
Professor for a Day - 5th graders from Canyon Breeze Elementary teach Kids at Hope to Arizona State University West students
Blueprint Education's Kids at Hope Academies
Promoting the Belief:
St. Lucie County, FL: Kids at Hope partners participated in the MLK Parade with a banner “We have a dream - All children will succeed, NO EXCEPTIONS!”
Fox Elementary School in Hanover Park, IL: Invited the entire community to attend a series of trainings introducing them to the Kids at Hope belief system and strategies.
Those in attendance included: Chief of Police and officer, Parks and Recreation officials, faith based community, parents, school board members, the Mayor of Hanover Park, Fire Chief and firefighters and many other community leaders.
Vallejo, CA Widenmann Elementary School: hosted a Successful Parenting-Successful Children workshop and had standing room only.
Phoenix, AZ Maryland Elementary School: faculty and staff wear their Kids at Hope t-shirts the first day of school and line up to create “Tunnel of Hope” where school staff and community members cheer returning students on to education victory.
Kids at Hope Pledge:
Schools, pre schools and youth groups across the country start each day with the Kids at Hope pledge:
I am a Kid at Hope.
I am talented, smart and capable of success.
I have dreams for the future
And I will climb to reach those goals and dreams everyday.
All kids are capable of success, NO EXCEPTIONS!
Hortonville Elementary School and Palomino Elementary School, along with other Kids at Hope schools have taught all students the Kids at Hope Pledge song.
This tradition was started by New River Elementary School in Arizona.
Sonoran Sky Elementary School: once a week a different group of staff or faculty appears on the school’s in-house TV station and recites the Treasure Hunter’s Pledge to all the students. By doing this students now understand the importance of these adults in their lives:
As an adult and a Treasure Hunter
I am committed to searching for all the skills
and intelligence which exist in all children and youth.
I believe all children are capable of success, NO EXCEPTIONS!
Kids at Hope Report Cards:
New River, AZ New River Elementary School: passes out their Kids at Hope Report Cards one day each year. The buses run late on this day because students can’t stop sharing the good news with each other and their teachers and staff.
Phoenix, AZ Valley of the Sun YMCA: offers Little Kids at Hope Report Cards to children participating in their pre school programs.
Kids at Hope’s Passport to the Future:
Phoenix, AZ Desert Horizon Elementary and Middle School: ensures that every “graduating” eighth grader receives their Passport to the Future thereby ensuring each student understands that they have a future filled with hope, optimism and success.
Many schools are now adopting Destination Days to compliment the Passport to the Future. Instead of just asking students what they want to be when they grow up, the Passport to the Future and the Destination Days are replacing Career Days, helping students focus on more than just a job and career. These schools are offering days focused on Home and Family, Education and Career, Community and Service and Hobbies and Recreation so that students also begin to understand the importance of their adult role at all of life’s destinations.
East Side Boys & Girls Club in Tacoma, WA- Graduation Day: all members know when their college graduation date is, thereby reinforcing high expectations for all youth.
Phoenix, AZ Amberlea Elementary School: offers students examples of College Diplomas noting their expected date of graduation and their major area study interest.
ACES Tracking
Chicago, IL Brian Piccolo Specialty School: asked students to identify those faculty and staff with who they believe they have a meaningful and sustainable relationship and who are willing to support their success.
Phoenix, AZ Sonoran Sky Elementary and Middle School: shares a school wide roster with all faculty and staff asking them to document those students with whom they have meaningful and sustainable relationship. They use the Kids at Hope Aces symbols to describe and define the types of relationship through which students benefit.
