Saturday, March 6, 2004 | 1:53 a.m.
WEEKEND EDITION: March 7, 2004
Cox Communications is giving local students incentive to make and achieve classroom goals, through its GoalGetters program.
Cox recently announced that enrollment in the GoalGetters program has surpassed 150,000 Las Vegas-area students, including 141 schools and five community-based organizations.
GoalGetters is a year-round performance-based incentive program designed to provide resources to help Southern Nevada teachers motivate kindergarten through 12th grade students to improve their performance in academics, attendance and citizenship, according to Cox Communications.
Through partnerships with local businesses, students receive free promotional offers when they meet predetermined and measurable goals established with the teacher at the beginning of the semester, spokesman Tony Timmons said.
Local businesses currently participating include Sonic Drive-Thru, Fazoli's Italian Restaurant, Les Olsen Co., Las Vegas YMCA, Chuy's, and El Pollo Loco.
"Each teacher sits with their students at a certain period of time, one-on-one, and decides on goals, whether it's getting a B on a test in a subject that is difficult or attendance," Timmons said. "If they achieve that goal, they get an award card."
The award card is packed with free offers for fast food meals, restaurant meals and even a free hour of play at Gameworks, he said.
An entry form is included in the award card for students to fill out and submit for a chance to win one of the grand prizes at the end of each semester.
"In the past we've drawn for YMCA memberships, Sony Playstation 2 sets, television sets, laptop computers and scholarships," Timmons said.
This academic year the Cox GoalGetters grand prize drawing will feature three $1,000 scholarships, said Steve Schorr, vice president of public and government affairs for Cox Communications.
"We will reward three $1,000 scholarships to children just by picking their name out of a hat," he said. "It could be a first grader, third grader or ninth grader -- any grade. They will get $1,000 simply by reaching their goal."
The award cards provide students with 100 percent free offers, giving students a true reward for achieving their goals, Schorr said.
"The key thing is that there are rewards," he said. "To me, reward is not buy one, get one free. The award card has completely free offers for children."
Awarding children by setting and achieving their goals is a productive way to teach the value of setting high standards for themselves, Schorr said.
"We've found that the specific problem many times is children want to finish high school or want to go to college, but they decide it is too late," he said. "GoalGetters really does help children set goals early in life, and that, we think, will help direct them later in life.
"What GoalGetters does is it sets the time early enough for children that they can set and achieve more goals in life. The earlier you do that, the better the outcome."
Setting goals is a key part of success, he said.
"I haven't met a successful person who didn't set goals for themselves," he said. "Goals are key to everybody. You consider those children who have never set goals before and now they are doing it, and being rewarded for it."
The GoalGetters program also assists teachers, Schorr said.
"Teachers often have to utilize things out of their own pockets," he said. "We wanted to do this in such a way that teachers don't have to pay for anything and it comes as no cost to the school or organization."
Through the program, teachers can set their own goals for each student or classroom, Timmons said.
"They (teachers) know what their students need to achieve," he said. "Maybe a student or class needs to work on attendance; it's all up to the teacher, basically, and it's a free program for them."
Students must attend an enrolled school to participate in the program. To enroll your public or private school, please call 933-2604 for more information.
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