BUG bites targeted group of kids

In the short-term, Kiwanis’ Bring Up Grades program—or BUG—recognizes students who raise their grades to an acceptable level and maintain that level, or who continue to raise them from one grading period to the next.

A young lad gets caught up in the spirit of the moment during a medley of BUG-related songs during an assembly at his elementary school.

In the long-term, Loni Barrett hopes the program provides enough of an incentive that BUG-bitten students continue striving for academic success in high school and beyond. That’s why she made launching the BUG program at Richmond Elementary School a priority when she was president this past year of the Salem, Oregon, Kiwanis club.

“One of the strengths of the BUG program is its flexibility,” Loni notes. “You can tailor the program based on a school’s needs. Many of the students at Richmond, for example, are Hispanic and a large number of these students use English as a second language.

“Sadly, the drop-out rate among these students is more than 50 percent before high school graduation. But we believe the Kiwanis BUG program can reach some of these children and perhaps provide that extra self-esteem and internal motivation required for academic success, high school graduation, and, hopefully, moving on to take advantage of higher education.”

Fellow Kiwanian Bill Kincaid, who owns a local business, underwrites the BUG program, Loni says. Bill heard about the BUG program during its early stages, she explains, and immediately knew he wanted to get involved. He kicked off the program with a $500 donation.

The program at Richmond Elementary already is bearing fruit. In November of this past school year, 15 students were awarded BUG certificates and prizes based on their improvement during the prior grading period. By the end of the school year, the number had risen to 80.

“We’re excited about the new opportunity to have positive interaction with the children of Richmond Elementary School through the BUG program,” Loni says. “Seeing the smiles on the faces of the children and their families when they received their awards was a wonderful experience for me.

“You can’t touch the lives of these children without your own life being touched back.”