“Makin’ it rain” here at MIPA may be a little bit easier for Chad Sanders than anyone else. With his Chad Change, diving into a pool of money is definitely possible.
As the director of the MIPA workshopfor student journalists, Sanders’s job requires him to check in on classes and events at all times. However, running around doing numerous tasks at once, he said, causes him to be less interactive with the MIPA students. To fix this, he uses the Chad Change monetary system.
“The reason we started it was because it was a way to interact with students,” Sanders said. “We spend a lot of time running around making sure everything is ready to go and getting people where they need to be, all the boring stuff. It was a way to force the students to say hi to us, and tell us how the week is going. It’s my way to get feedback from the students.”
Not only is the Chad Change program a way for Sanders to get some of the inside scoop, but it may also be another outlet for students. While students spend their whole day with the same instructors, talking to Sanders gives them the opportunity to hear another voice and to look into another opinion.
For the kids who successfully talk to Chad about any topics they desire, they receive some Chad Change in return. At the end of the camp, all the Chad Change is deposited into one bucket. Sanders then has the opportunity to give back to the students that took their time out to talk to him. Students whose Chad Change is chosen are then allowed to pick a prize from the numerous prizes available, anywhere from Michigan State school wear to candy.
Lauren Kostiuk from Eisenhower High School said, “It’s important to know the person who is charge is, and (the Chad Change program is) something really rewarding for doing such a small thing.”
With so many things going on at the MIPA conference, Chad’s Change is a way for everyone to stay connected and be rewarded. Not only is it beneficial for Chad, but for the students as well.
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