Thunderbucks

If you're the parent of one of our students here, you may have had your son or daughter come home talking about Thunderbucks and you may be wondering exactly what a Thunderbuck is. Here at LEC, students have the option of helping out with afternoon chores around the school--sweeping up the main room, stacking chairs, emptying garbage cans, and such. In return, students are paid in Thunderbucks that they can spend in a student store of sorts we've set up in our upstairs offices. Thunderbucks can be used to purchase healthful snacks, toys, headphones, batteries, school supplies, and other items, and students earn one Thunderbuck for each chore they participate in.

Most students don't seem to participate in it for what they can purchase, though. Many of our students never spend the Thunderbucks they earn, and students seem to appreciate the recognition for a job well-done that a Thunderbuck represents. Many students have opted to "donate" theirs to the Oregon Humane Society, with the school making a donation of one dollar for every Thunderbuck the students contribute. Additionally, the program director has agreed to match students contributions dollar for dollar. So far this year, this amounts to over $100 that the students have raised!