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Copyright 2003 - 2006
KU Department of Pediatrics.
All rights reserved.
This web site created by
John Goodwin, MD
Revised: March 28, 2006
Program Overview:
Pride originated from a very simple idea. Children who are doing well should receive recognition and support from their peers and mentors. If this is done, they might be encouraged to continue doing positive acts. Perhaps more importantly, their friends may feel more inclined to emulate them. The recent media explosion regarding violent behavior on the part of children has convinced many that there is little to celebrate in today's kids. We believe that the majority of kids are an important and positive part of their community, and adults have the responsibility to foster this with our PRIDE.
What follows is an overview of the
PRIDE program. Specific areas will be fleshed
out in subsequent pages. You will see hyperlinks to those pages in the
text below. There are also examples provided to simplify your job in creating
the necessary paperwork and forms for your program.
The KU Pediatrics Department is anxious to hear how the program works in your community. If you have concerns or suggestions please communicate them with us. As a central location, the KU Pediatrics Department will share new ideas with all participating residency groups. Any problems should be communicated as well. Our committee will discuss potential solutions and try to make this program successful and "user-friendly" to enable national exposure by the year 2001.
Startup:
The first step is to get support from your residency coordinator. Advocacy programs are important and most directors are looking for programs involving the community. This program has the advantage of being fun and interactive as well as giving good public relations exposure to your department. It is possible that you will have initial startup costs that may need to be loaned by the department. KU spent approximately $50 on letterhead stationary and another $50 on materials.
Business:
The next step is to solicit support from businesses. Sports teams are great start. Present the program as a physician-run community service program for children. Prizes are given to recognize their community service and school excellence.
We estimate the cost of the program (including prizes) to be approximately $1200 per year if one award is handed out monthly during the nine-month school year. Obviously, the availability of donated prizes (such as tickets to sporting events) would make the program less costly.
Schools:
The third step is contacting the schools and school systems that you wish to involve with your program. The KU Children’s Center invited the public school systems closest to the Medical Center. Due to the large number of private schools in the area, we chose at first to have them contact us if they were interested in participating. As the program matures and expands, we should be able to accommodate more private schools in our program.
Residents:
Once the nominations start arriving you are officially ready to start. KU chooses one winner each month, although this is not an absolute necessity. Some residencies may find it better to award a winner every other month or even every quarter. One resident should be designated as being "in charge" of getting the presentations ready. A committee comprising an attending, a resident, a secretary, and a non-medical liaison oversees the decisions made during each month.
The Presentation:
The awards ceremony is the culmination of all the hard work.
The residents in our department truly enjoy attending the ceremony.
It provides them with an increased sense of PRIDE.
They sense the fun and excitement from the children and enjoy the feeling
of having made a difference in the community.
The presentation is generally done in front of the child's class to promote the program, recognize the child in front of his/her peers, and allow PRIDE to touch as many people as it can. In some cases the principal chose to have a school assembly involving the entire school. It is essential that the presentation be made in front of peers. The goal of PRIDE is to have the winner feel proud of his/her accomplishments and have his/her peers wish to win the award too.
Conclusion:
As you can tell, this program involves a lot of people. Each resident has the opportunity to impact on a child's life. It requires some time and lots of enthusiasm, but it does not require a great deal of money. If you choose to use or adapt the forms we provide, it should not require much office time.
I guarantee that the first time your department makes a presentation, you will feel the power of PRIDE. You will see it in the face of the winner. You will hear it in the laughs and amazement of their peers. You will sense it with a handshakes and hugs of the parents and teachers. Businesses will contribute, the media will watch, and your city will appreciate the fact that you care not only for the children's health ... you also care about their lives.