In this age, universities serve as more than a center of learning. Students work hard to attain knowledge and sharpen their skills, and an educational institution should recognize their achievements to keep them motivated. Getting recognized enhances their motivation and boosts their confidence.
Most educational institutions have yearly student recognition programs that identify and honor the best students in academics and extracurricular activities. If you’re wondering how to adopt it for your educational institution, here are a few simple steps adopted by the top ones.
Award Categories
The first step of establishing student recognition is to define the award categories. There can be multiple achievement areas, but you’ll find a few common ones followed by most educational institutions. For example, the academic excellence category awards students who perform well academically by earning good grades or conducting research. Another category that focuses on sports achievements and awards students with the best performance in various sporting events and competitions. Another category is the leadership category. It awards students with strong leadership skills and initiatives through any leadership role or club participation. Educational institutions also award students involved in community services, such as volunteer work and community engagement.
Selection Criteria
After selecting the categories, you need to determine the selection criteria because it determines which students will be shortlisted for the award. It will also help you understand the scale of measurement. The process of establishing the criteria varies by the educational institution, and you can develop your own. Start by listing the achievements, such as the academic standings, voluntary services, project outcomes, amount of money raised for a charity, etc. Make sure that the criteria match the award type. For example, the highest amount of money raised for a charity shouldn’t be a criteria for sports awards. If you involve a jury to determine the criteria, choose an unbiased panel for a fair judgment.
Custom Awards
Giving the students custom awards and trophies when honoring them will provide them with a token that they can preserve and look back on years later. You can engrave the student’s name and achievements on it. Order trophies for the sports category and plaques for the other ones.
Many award manufacturers take orders for customized awards. Take quotes from multiple vendors and go for the one with good reviews. Don’t forget to choose a high-quality material like metal or acrylic, so that the students can preserve the awards for many years.
Recognition Event Planning
A student recognition event honors the students in front of their peers. It creates a celebratory mood and encourages the other students to work harder.
The success of the event will depend on its planning. Choose the location, refreshment, and guest list wisely. You can hold the event on your premises or choose an outdoor location. Prepare a budget for the refreshments and decorations and stick to it. You can pick the vendors through alumni referrals or have the student clubs carry out the planning.
Student Involvement
You can also involve your students in both the planning and execution of the event because they know the institution better than any outside vendors. They can also help shortlist the students, define the award categories and criteria, and figure out the award design. Responsibilities and level of involvement will depend on their skills. The students can take help from senior students and alumni, and involve sports team coaches and faculty members if required.
Publicizing Efforts
Publicizing your student recognition program can create a positive image of your educational institution. Promote the nominees way ahead of the event in all your marketing and communication channels, and announce the winners through the same channel. If you have a university website, publication, magazine, or newsletter, utilize them to publicize the program. Don’t forget to highlight the achievements of the winners and nominees.
You can also utilize social media platforms like Facebook and Linkedin to promote the program. The right audience can engage with these posts and share them with their network. It increases your visibility. A good PR package will also effectively publicize your efforts.
Alumni Support
Alumni support can strengthen your student recognition efforts. Arrange networking events to introduce your students to their alumni body so that they can reach out to them for knowledge, help, or mentorship. You can ask the alumni body to sponsor the student recognition event. If they have businesses, they can also partake in the event and promote their brands. You can also have them on the jury panel.
A student recognition program can be the cornerstone of your student’s academic life, especially for the ones with achievements. It’s also a great way to celebrate their success and motivate their peers to work harder. It also gives them a sense of belongingness and strengthens the relationship between your students and the alumni. Publicizing student recognition efforts will also create a positive image of your educational institution, and more students will want to join it.