CHAMP: Working hard to promote, recognize and reward students’ success
By V.T. Borger, as printed in the Mercer County Chronicle 2/9/06
 

Celina High Academic and Motivational Promoters (CHAMP) is a non-profit parent organization that was organized in 1993.  According to the group’s President Suzanne Montgomery, the reason for the group’s formation: “Parents wanted to recognize and reward students’ academics.”

Montgomery, who is now serving her second year as president and has been a member of the organization for nearly nine years, noted that the group strives to reach all students by offering incentives and recognizing exceptional effort and accomplishment in academic and personal endeavors.  Through CHAMP programs, the group endeavors to accomplish the following: encourage and reward academic success and personal accomplishment, promote and reward responsible student choices and offer information and resources to facilitate student achievement.

            The most rewarding part of being a CHAMP member, she said, “I enjoy all of our activities. If I had to identify the single most rewarding aspect for me, it has been being able to provide materials, resources and scholarship money to assist students in reaching their personal and academic goals.”

            Currently, the group has 57 family memberships and 61 local businesses support CHAMP. Parents can join by purchasing a $10 family membership, she said.

            She noted that CHAMP has given away thousands of dollars in scholarships since its inception. This year, they plan to award three $1,000 CHAMP scholarships and two $1,000 CHAMP/WOEF (Western Ohio Education Foundation) for those attending Wright State University Lake Campus.

            CHAMP implemented a recognition program for student athletes who maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. “Studies show that students who participate in extra-curricular activities, such as sports, band, cheerleading or chorus, do well academically,” Montgomery said.

            The group raises money through the sale of the CHAMP card, which provides discounts at local participating businesses.

In addition, the group provides different incentive programs for students, such as the Freshman Scholars program to reward the top 10 freshman students; distributes candy, the Top Dog coupon card and academic excellence window peel to all honor roll students;

The Top Dog card gives students discounts or free food, merchandise or service at local businesses. Montgomery noted that nearly 400 students are on the honor roll at CHS every semester. “We hand them out at lunch time,” she said.

CHAMP also rewards students selected as Student of the Month; honors seniors graduating in the top 15 percent of their class at Breakfast of Champions; acknowledges outstanding staff service at the staff Appreciation Breakfast; distributes motivational gifts to all freshmen at registration; and prints inspirational messages in the athletic programs and year book.

            To promote and reward responsible student choices, CHAMP has co-sponsored several community presentations with the Mercer County Teen Coalition, such as a program to make parents aware of Internet predators, another speaker talked about destructive decisions teens make and how to prevent them, and drug abuse and how to keep children safe. An upcoming speaker, Pam Stenzel, sponsored by CHAMP and the Mercer County Teen Taskforce, will make several presentations to adults and students in Mercer County about sexual abstinence for teens on March 29 and 80.

CHAMP also rewarded students nominated for recognition of personal integrity with the Character Counts at CHS program; recognized student achievement by awarding cash prizes to students and the teachers who recommended them for outstanding performance in academic and/or personal endeavors; and honored members of the senior class with the Giant Cookie Giveaway.

            To provide information and resources to facilitate student achievement, CHAMP raised $2,550 for the Student Leadership Training Fund; bought handbooks for the media center to expand the CHAMP resource area for high school, college and career planning; donated funds for accelerated reading materials for learning disabled students; promoted good communication through speakers parents and students, press releases for local media, mailed flyers to parents, and continually updates the CHAMP bulletin board and website; donated monies to the CHS Guidance Department to purchase materials and resources; purchased the Ohio Career information System Internet program for career exploration; donated funds to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the CHS spring musical, the new tennis court and the high school intervention plan; and provided flyers about interest/career exploration to the sophomore class.

            “It’s important for kids to start out with lofty goals,” Montgomery said. “We want to make resources available to students to access to help plan their future. We want to get kids to think more globally and plan a future that will take them somewhere.”