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The store must be something that the students can rely on - it needs to be open regularly, stocked with plenty of options, manned by a store worker, and include regular communication.

So how can we make rewarding our students for the positive behavior they exhibit more sustainable? Put the students in charge!

What is a PBIS Store?

For schools that are running a PBIS system, they have behavior expectations in place and, most, have identified how they will recognize when students exhibit these behaviors. Many choose to create their own school currency that they hand out to students. Then, the students can use that currency to redeem rewards from the store.

The PBIS Store provides a real-world connection for the school and students with this currency. Students have the opportunity to purchase rewards and make real-life decisions like:

These questions plus many others are why schools take on the logistics of running a school reward store.

School Store Example

Benefits of a Student-Run Store

As mentioned, the store can be a big undertaking. You need to create a system where every student in your school has the opportunity to shop. Things you need to figure out include:

This is A LOT for one person to handle, let alone a team of educators at your school that, no doubt, already have plenty on their plate. That’s where appointing students to help run your store is genius!

One option is to have students on your Store Advisory Board to help brainstorm new reward ideas that will be enticing to your student body. Or you can create student jobs for manning the store operations when it’s open. Another idea from Von Tobel Middle in Las Vegas, NV is to create a class where the students fulfill orders and deliver them to their peers. Learn more about their student run store here!

By allowing students to take ownership in this process you’re helping with buy-in but also providing leadership opportunities for the students: it’s win-win!

School Store Example

Steps to Setting Up Your Own PBIS Store

As you can see, planning and implementing a school store can be a lengthy process. Here are our recommendations for getting up and running:

Step 1: Create a Team

This team will be the ones creating the processes and running the day-to-day operations. We highly suggest setting up a regular meeting so that you can discuss how things are going and address any issues that arise.

Step 2: Identify the Rewards

Create a menu of rewards, whether physical, experiential or both, that your students can redeem. You will also need to determine the price for each reward. We got you covered with our Rewards that Rock database of 100+ reward ideas to start the brainstorming.

Step 3: Redeeming the Rewards

Identify how the students will be able to shop in your store. Is it a physical space, like a closet or table in the cafeteria, where students can come and look around, or will everything be on a cart that your team takes from class-to-class?

School Store Example

If it’s an experiential reward, when will the students be able to partake? Is it ongoing (like eating lunch with the Principal where they could have a list of students each week) or during a specific date/time? Also, make sure you have a way to identify the students that are partaking in the reward.

You can consider an app like LiveSchool to help with this very system.

School Store Example

Step 4: Store Hours

Providing consistent opportunities for your students to redeem rewards is imperative to getting buy-in. Determine how often your store will be open and when students will be able to shop.

Antioch Middle, in Nashville, TN, has their student-run store open for 30 minutes before school every week!

School Store Example

Step 5: Inventory

If you are including physical rewards, you will need to make sure there is a way to keep track of the inventory. You don’t want to have a student redeem a reward and then realize after the fact that you don’t have any more of that item. Plus, you will need an easy way to know when a re-order is needed.

Step 6: Marketing the Store

As with any system, it’s all about the buy-in! Make sure students are aware of the rewards you’re offering in the store or when they will have opportunities to redeem them. Use the morning or afternoon announcements to provide reminders and have your student leaders put up posters around the school to keep everyone updated.

Organization will be key in creating a sustainable system so make sure you have a plan for how you will keep track of all the moving parts within the store. And that includes creating jobs for each student and a schedule so everyone is on the same page. Check out this student job application and store order form from Antioch Middle for inspiration.

Want to improve your school culture and the rewards experience for your younger students? Check out our rewards menu for elementary students.

Need more help constructing your incentive program? It can be a bit overwhelming, so we created a complete guide to rewarding students so everything you need is in one convenient place. For more on establishing your own store you should check out episode 35 of our podcast, six steps to building a student-run rewards store.

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.
A rewards store can be a major component of a school’s behavior system. Students see that the positive behaviors they show throughout the day can lead to a reward and encourages them to continue making positive choices. But, for the staff, running a store can be a major headache.

The store must be something that the students can rely on - it needs to be open regularly, stocked with plenty of options, manned by a store worker, and include regular communication.

So how can we make rewarding our students for the positive behavior they exhibit more sustainable? Put the students in charge!

What is a PBIS Store?

For schools that are running a PBIS system, they have behavior expectations in place and, most, have identified how they will recognize when students exhibit these behaviors. Many choose to create their own school currency that they hand out to students. Then, the students can use that currency to redeem rewards from the store.

The PBIS Store provides a real-world connection for the school and students with this currency. Students have the opportunity to purchase rewards and make real-life decisions like:

  • Should they use the small amount of money in their bank account for the little trinket? Or should they wait and save up for the bigger, more exciting item or experience?
  • If they see their friends getting the same little trinkets, is that how they want to spend their money, as well?
  • What do they need to do to earn more?

These questions plus many others are why schools take on the logistics of running a school reward store.

School Store Example

Benefits of a Student-Run Store

As mentioned, the store can be a big undertaking. You need to create a system where every student in your school has the opportunity to shop. Things you need to figure out include:

  • When is the store is open?
  • How will students shop?
  • When will they receive their purchases?
  • How will students know how much money they have in the bank account?
  • How much is each item? How will students know that?
  • Who will man the store?
  • How will we keep up with inventory?

This is A LOT for one person to handle, let alone a team of educators at your school that, no doubt, already have plenty on their plate. That’s where appointing students to help run your store is genius!

One option is to have students on your Store Advisory Board to help brainstorm new reward ideas that will be enticing to your student body. Or you can create student jobs for manning the store operations when it’s open. Another idea from Von Tobel Middle in Las Vegas, NV is to create a class where the students fulfill orders and deliver them to their peers. Learn more about their student run store here!

By allowing students to take ownership in this process you’re helping with buy-in but also providing leadership opportunities for the students: it’s win-win!

School Store Example

Steps to Setting Up Your Own PBIS Store

As you can see, planning and implementing a school store can be a lengthy process. Here are our recommendations for getting up and running:

Step 1: Create a Team

This team will be the ones creating the processes and running the day-to-day operations. We highly suggest setting up a regular meeting so that you can discuss how things are going and address any issues that arise.

Step 2: Identify the Rewards

Create a menu of rewards, whether physical, experiential or both, that your students can redeem. You will also need to determine the price for each reward. We got you covered with our Rewards that Rock database of 100+ reward ideas to start the brainstorming.

Step 3: Redeeming the Rewards

Identify how the students will be able to shop in your store. Is it a physical space, like a closet or table in the cafeteria, where students can come and look around, or will everything be on a cart that your team takes from class-to-class?

School Store Example

If it’s an experiential reward, when will the students be able to partake? Is it ongoing (like eating lunch with the Principal where they could have a list of students each week) or during a specific date/time? Also, make sure you have a way to identify the students that are partaking in the reward.

You can consider an app like LiveSchool to help with this very system.

School Store Example

Step 4: Store Hours

Providing consistent opportunities for your students to redeem rewards is imperative to getting buy-in. Determine how often your store will be open and when students will be able to shop.

Antioch Middle, in Nashville, TN, has their student-run store open for 30 minutes before school every week!

School Store Example

Step 5: Inventory

If you are including physical rewards, you will need to make sure there is a way to keep track of the inventory. You don’t want to have a student redeem a reward and then realize after the fact that you don’t have any more of that item. Plus, you will need an easy way to know when a re-order is needed.

Step 6: Marketing the Store

As with any system, it’s all about the buy-in! Make sure students are aware of the rewards you’re offering in the store or when they will have opportunities to redeem them. Use the morning or afternoon announcements to provide reminders and have your student leaders put up posters around the school to keep everyone updated.

Organization will be key in creating a sustainable system so make sure you have a plan for how you will keep track of all the moving parts within the store. And that includes creating jobs for each student and a schedule so everyone is on the same page. Check out this student job application and store order form from Antioch Middle for inspiration.

Want to improve your school culture and the rewards experience for your younger students? Check out our rewards menu for elementary students.

Need more help constructing your incentive program? It can be a bit overwhelming, so we created a complete guide to rewarding students so everything you need is in one convenient place. For more on establishing your own store you should check out episode 35 of our podcast, six steps to building a student-run rewards store.

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

The store must be something that the students can rely on - it needs to be open regularly, stocked with plenty of options, manned by a store worker, and include regular communication.

So how can we make rewarding our students for the positive behavior they exhibit more sustainable? Put the students in charge!

What is a PBIS Store?

For schools that are running a PBIS system, they have behavior expectations in place and, most, have identified how they will recognize when students exhibit these behaviors. Many choose to create their own school currency that they hand out to students. Then, the students can use that currency to redeem rewards from the store.

The PBIS Store provides a real-world connection for the school and students with this currency. Students have the opportunity to purchase rewards and make real-life decisions like:

  • Should they use the small amount of money in their bank account for the little trinket? Or should they wait and save up for the bigger, more exciting item or experience?
  • If they see their friends getting the same little trinkets, is that how they want to spend their money, as well?
  • What do they need to do to earn more?

These questions plus many others are why schools take on the logistics of running a school reward store.

School Store Example

Benefits of a Student-Run Store

As mentioned, the store can be a big undertaking. You need to create a system where every student in your school has the opportunity to shop. Things you need to figure out include:

  • When is the store is open?
  • How will students shop?
  • When will they receive their purchases?
  • How will students know how much money they have in the bank account?
  • How much is each item? How will students know that?
  • Who will man the store?
  • How will we keep up with inventory?

This is A LOT for one person to handle, let alone a team of educators at your school that, no doubt, already have plenty on their plate. That’s where appointing students to help run your store is genius!

One option is to have students on your Store Advisory Board to help brainstorm new reward ideas that will be enticing to your student body. Or you can create student jobs for manning the store operations when it’s open. Another idea from Von Tobel Middle in Las Vegas, NV is to create a class where the students fulfill orders and deliver them to their peers. Learn more about their student run store here!

By allowing students to take ownership in this process you’re helping with buy-in but also providing leadership opportunities for the students: it’s win-win!

School Store Example

Steps to Setting Up Your Own PBIS Store

As you can see, planning and implementing a school store can be a lengthy process. Here are our recommendations for getting up and running:

Step 1: Create a Team

This team will be the ones creating the processes and running the day-to-day operations. We highly suggest setting up a regular meeting so that you can discuss how things are going and address any issues that arise.

Step 2: Identify the Rewards

Create a menu of rewards, whether physical, experiential or both, that your students can redeem. You will also need to determine the price for each reward. We got you covered with our Rewards that Rock database of 100+ reward ideas to start the brainstorming.

Step 3: Redeeming the Rewards

Identify how the students will be able to shop in your store. Is it a physical space, like a closet or table in the cafeteria, where students can come and look around, or will everything be on a cart that your team takes from class-to-class?

School Store Example

If it’s an experiential reward, when will the students be able to partake? Is it ongoing (like eating lunch with the Principal where they could have a list of students each week) or during a specific date/time? Also, make sure you have a way to identify the students that are partaking in the reward.

You can consider an app like LiveSchool to help with this very system.

School Store Example

Step 4: Store Hours

Providing consistent opportunities for your students to redeem rewards is imperative to getting buy-in. Determine how often your store will be open and when students will be able to shop.

Antioch Middle, in Nashville, TN, has their student-run store open for 30 minutes before school every week!

School Store Example

Step 5: Inventory

If you are including physical rewards, you will need to make sure there is a way to keep track of the inventory. You don’t want to have a student redeem a reward and then realize after the fact that you don’t have any more of that item. Plus, you will need an easy way to know when a re-order is needed.

Step 6: Marketing the Store

As with any system, it’s all about the buy-in! Make sure students are aware of the rewards you’re offering in the store or when they will have opportunities to redeem them. Use the morning or afternoon announcements to provide reminders and have your student leaders put up posters around the school to keep everyone updated.

Organization will be key in creating a sustainable system so make sure you have a plan for how you will keep track of all the moving parts within the store. And that includes creating jobs for each student and a schedule so everyone is on the same page. Check out this student job application and store order form from Antioch Middle for inspiration.

Want to improve your school culture and the rewards experience for your younger students? Check out our rewards menu for elementary students.

Need more help constructing your incentive program? It can be a bit overwhelming, so we created a complete guide to rewarding students so everything you need is in one convenient place. For more on establishing your own store you should check out episode 35 of our podcast, six steps to building a student-run rewards store.

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

About the Event

The store must be something that the students can rely on - it needs to be open regularly, stocked with plenty of options, manned by a store worker, and include regular communication.

So how can we make rewarding our students for the positive behavior they exhibit more sustainable? Put the students in charge!

What is a PBIS Store?

For schools that are running a PBIS system, they have behavior expectations in place and, most, have identified how they will recognize when students exhibit these behaviors. Many choose to create their own school currency that they hand out to students. Then, the students can use that currency to redeem rewards from the store.

The PBIS Store provides a real-world connection for the school and students with this currency. Students have the opportunity to purchase rewards and make real-life decisions like:

  • Should they use the small amount of money in their bank account for the little trinket? Or should they wait and save up for the bigger, more exciting item or experience?
  • If they see their friends getting the same little trinkets, is that how they want to spend their money, as well?
  • What do they need to do to earn more?

These questions plus many others are why schools take on the logistics of running a school reward store.

School Store Example

Benefits of a Student-Run Store

As mentioned, the store can be a big undertaking. You need to create a system where every student in your school has the opportunity to shop. Things you need to figure out include:

  • When is the store is open?
  • How will students shop?
  • When will they receive their purchases?
  • How will students know how much money they have in the bank account?
  • How much is each item? How will students know that?
  • Who will man the store?
  • How will we keep up with inventory?

This is A LOT for one person to handle, let alone a team of educators at your school that, no doubt, already have plenty on their plate. That’s where appointing students to help run your store is genius!

One option is to have students on your Store Advisory Board to help brainstorm new reward ideas that will be enticing to your student body. Or you can create student jobs for manning the store operations when it’s open. Another idea from Von Tobel Middle in Las Vegas, NV is to create a class where the students fulfill orders and deliver them to their peers. Learn more about their student run store here!

By allowing students to take ownership in this process you’re helping with buy-in but also providing leadership opportunities for the students: it’s win-win!

School Store Example

Steps to Setting Up Your Own PBIS Store

As you can see, planning and implementing a school store can be a lengthy process. Here are our recommendations for getting up and running:

Step 1: Create a Team

This team will be the ones creating the processes and running the day-to-day operations. We highly suggest setting up a regular meeting so that you can discuss how things are going and address any issues that arise.

Step 2: Identify the Rewards

Create a menu of rewards, whether physical, experiential or both, that your students can redeem. You will also need to determine the price for each reward. We got you covered with our Rewards that Rock database of 100+ reward ideas to start the brainstorming.

Step 3: Redeeming the Rewards

Identify how the students will be able to shop in your store. Is it a physical space, like a closet or table in the cafeteria, where students can come and look around, or will everything be on a cart that your team takes from class-to-class?

School Store Example

If it’s an experiential reward, when will the students be able to partake? Is it ongoing (like eating lunch with the Principal where they could have a list of students each week) or during a specific date/time? Also, make sure you have a way to identify the students that are partaking in the reward.

You can consider an app like LiveSchool to help with this very system.

School Store Example

Step 4: Store Hours

Providing consistent opportunities for your students to redeem rewards is imperative to getting buy-in. Determine how often your store will be open and when students will be able to shop.

Antioch Middle, in Nashville, TN, has their student-run store open for 30 minutes before school every week!

School Store Example

Step 5: Inventory

If you are including physical rewards, you will need to make sure there is a way to keep track of the inventory. You don’t want to have a student redeem a reward and then realize after the fact that you don’t have any more of that item. Plus, you will need an easy way to know when a re-order is needed.

Step 6: Marketing the Store

As with any system, it’s all about the buy-in! Make sure students are aware of the rewards you’re offering in the store or when they will have opportunities to redeem them. Use the morning or afternoon announcements to provide reminders and have your student leaders put up posters around the school to keep everyone updated.

Organization will be key in creating a sustainable system so make sure you have a plan for how you will keep track of all the moving parts within the store. And that includes creating jobs for each student and a schedule so everyone is on the same page. Check out this student job application and store order form from Antioch Middle for inspiration.

Want to improve your school culture and the rewards experience for your younger students? Check out our rewards menu for elementary students.

Need more help constructing your incentive program? It can be a bit overwhelming, so we created a complete guide to rewarding students so everything you need is in one convenient place. For more on establishing your own store you should check out episode 35 of our podcast, six steps to building a student-run rewards store.

Register Now

About the Event

The store must be something that the students can rely on - it needs to be open regularly, stocked with plenty of options, manned by a store worker, and include regular communication.

So how can we make rewarding our students for the positive behavior they exhibit more sustainable? Put the students in charge!

What is a PBIS Store?

For schools that are running a PBIS system, they have behavior expectations in place and, most, have identified how they will recognize when students exhibit these behaviors. Many choose to create their own school currency that they hand out to students. Then, the students can use that currency to redeem rewards from the store.

The PBIS Store provides a real-world connection for the school and students with this currency. Students have the opportunity to purchase rewards and make real-life decisions like:

  • Should they use the small amount of money in their bank account for the little trinket? Or should they wait and save up for the bigger, more exciting item or experience?
  • If they see their friends getting the same little trinkets, is that how they want to spend their money, as well?
  • What do they need to do to earn more?

These questions plus many others are why schools take on the logistics of running a school reward store.

School Store Example

Benefits of a Student-Run Store

As mentioned, the store can be a big undertaking. You need to create a system where every student in your school has the opportunity to shop. Things you need to figure out include:

  • When is the store is open?
  • How will students shop?
  • When will they receive their purchases?
  • How will students know how much money they have in the bank account?
  • How much is each item? How will students know that?
  • Who will man the store?
  • How will we keep up with inventory?

This is A LOT for one person to handle, let alone a team of educators at your school that, no doubt, already have plenty on their plate. That’s where appointing students to help run your store is genius!

One option is to have students on your Store Advisory Board to help brainstorm new reward ideas that will be enticing to your student body. Or you can create student jobs for manning the store operations when it’s open. Another idea from Von Tobel Middle in Las Vegas, NV is to create a class where the students fulfill orders and deliver them to their peers. Learn more about their student run store here!

By allowing students to take ownership in this process you’re helping with buy-in but also providing leadership opportunities for the students: it’s win-win!

School Store Example

Steps to Setting Up Your Own PBIS Store

As you can see, planning and implementing a school store can be a lengthy process. Here are our recommendations for getting up and running:

Step 1: Create a Team

This team will be the ones creating the processes and running the day-to-day operations. We highly suggest setting up a regular meeting so that you can discuss how things are going and address any issues that arise.

Step 2: Identify the Rewards

Create a menu of rewards, whether physical, experiential or both, that your students can redeem. You will also need to determine the price for each reward. We got you covered with our Rewards that Rock database of 100+ reward ideas to start the brainstorming.

Step 3: Redeeming the Rewards

Identify how the students will be able to shop in your store. Is it a physical space, like a closet or table in the cafeteria, where students can come and look around, or will everything be on a cart that your team takes from class-to-class?

School Store Example

If it’s an experiential reward, when will the students be able to partake? Is it ongoing (like eating lunch with the Principal where they could have a list of students each week) or during a specific date/time? Also, make sure you have a way to identify the students that are partaking in the reward.

You can consider an app like LiveSchool to help with this very system.

School Store Example

Step 4: Store Hours

Providing consistent opportunities for your students to redeem rewards is imperative to getting buy-in. Determine how often your store will be open and when students will be able to shop.

Antioch Middle, in Nashville, TN, has their student-run store open for 30 minutes before school every week!

School Store Example

Step 5: Inventory

If you are including physical rewards, you will need to make sure there is a way to keep track of the inventory. You don’t want to have a student redeem a reward and then realize after the fact that you don’t have any more of that item. Plus, you will need an easy way to know when a re-order is needed.

Step 6: Marketing the Store

As with any system, it’s all about the buy-in! Make sure students are aware of the rewards you’re offering in the store or when they will have opportunities to redeem them. Use the morning or afternoon announcements to provide reminders and have your student leaders put up posters around the school to keep everyone updated.

Organization will be key in creating a sustainable system so make sure you have a plan for how you will keep track of all the moving parts within the store. And that includes creating jobs for each student and a schedule so everyone is on the same page. Check out this student job application and store order form from Antioch Middle for inspiration.

Want to improve your school culture and the rewards experience for your younger students? Check out our rewards menu for elementary students.

Need more help constructing your incentive program? It can be a bit overwhelming, so we created a complete guide to rewarding students so everything you need is in one convenient place. For more on establishing your own store you should check out episode 35 of our podcast, six steps to building a student-run rewards store.

About the Presenter

Hannah works with the LiveSchool team as our Product Marketing Manager. She works diligently to help teachers and administrators improve school culture and student behavior.

She understands firsthand the challenges that LiveSchool addresses because she worked for seven years as a teacher in Metro Nashville Public Schools before joining the team full-time.

In addition to supporting educators achieve their culture vision, Hannah also enjoys rooting on the Cubs, playing tennis, trivia, and traveling!

Sign up for more ideas
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

A rewards store can be a major component of a school’s behavior system. Students see that the positive behaviors they show throughout the day can lead to a reward and encourages them to continue making positive choices. But, for the staff, running a store can be a major headache.

The store must be something that the students can rely on - it needs to be open regularly, stocked with plenty of options, manned by a store worker, and include regular communication.

So how can we make rewarding our students for the positive behavior they exhibit more sustainable? Put the students in charge!

What is a PBIS Store?

For schools that are running a PBIS system, they have behavior expectations in place and, most, have identified how they will recognize when students exhibit these behaviors. Many choose to create their own school currency that they hand out to students. Then, the students can use that currency to redeem rewards from the store.

The PBIS Store provides a real-world connection for the school and students with this currency. Students have the opportunity to purchase rewards and make real-life decisions like:

  • Should they use the small amount of money in their bank account for the little trinket? Or should they wait and save up for the bigger, more exciting item or experience?
  • If they see their friends getting the same little trinkets, is that how they want to spend their money, as well?
  • What do they need to do to earn more?

These questions plus many others are why schools take on the logistics of running a school reward store.

School Store Example

Benefits of a Student-Run Store

As mentioned, the store can be a big undertaking. You need to create a system where every student in your school has the opportunity to shop. Things you need to figure out include:

  • When is the store is open?
  • How will students shop?
  • When will they receive their purchases?
  • How will students know how much money they have in the bank account?
  • How much is each item? How will students know that?
  • Who will man the store?
  • How will we keep up with inventory?

This is A LOT for one person to handle, let alone a team of educators at your school that, no doubt, already have plenty on their plate. That’s where appointing students to help run your store is genius!

One option is to have students on your Store Advisory Board to help brainstorm new reward ideas that will be enticing to your student body. Or you can create student jobs for manning the store operations when it’s open. Another idea from Von Tobel Middle in Las Vegas, NV is to create a class where the students fulfill orders and deliver them to their peers. Learn more about their student run store here!

By allowing students to take ownership in this process you’re helping with buy-in but also providing leadership opportunities for the students: it’s win-win!

School Store Example

Steps to Setting Up Your Own PBIS Store

As you can see, planning and implementing a school store can be a lengthy process. Here are our recommendations for getting up and running:

Step 1: Create a Team

This team will be the ones creating the processes and running the day-to-day operations. We highly suggest setting up a regular meeting so that you can discuss how things are going and address any issues that arise.

Step 2: Identify the Rewards

Create a menu of rewards, whether physical, experiential or both, that your students can redeem. You will also need to determine the price for each reward. We got you covered with our Rewards that Rock database of 100+ reward ideas to start the brainstorming.

Step 3: Redeeming the Rewards

Identify how the students will be able to shop in your store. Is it a physical space, like a closet or table in the cafeteria, where students can come and look around, or will everything be on a cart that your team takes from class-to-class?

School Store Example

If it’s an experiential reward, when will the students be able to partake? Is it ongoing (like eating lunch with the Principal where they could have a list of students each week) or during a specific date/time? Also, make sure you have a way to identify the students that are partaking in the reward.

You can consider an app like LiveSchool to help with this very system.

School Store Example

Step 4: Store Hours

Providing consistent opportunities for your students to redeem rewards is imperative to getting buy-in. Determine how often your store will be open and when students will be able to shop.

Antioch Middle, in Nashville, TN, has their student-run store open for 30 minutes before school every week!

School Store Example

Step 5: Inventory

If you are including physical rewards, you will need to make sure there is a way to keep track of the inventory. You don’t want to have a student redeem a reward and then realize after the fact that you don’t have any more of that item. Plus, you will need an easy way to know when a re-order is needed.

Step 6: Marketing the Store

As with any system, it’s all about the buy-in! Make sure students are aware of the rewards you’re offering in the store or when they will have opportunities to redeem them. Use the morning or afternoon announcements to provide reminders and have your student leaders put up posters around the school to keep everyone updated.

Organization will be key in creating a sustainable system so make sure you have a plan for how you will keep track of all the moving parts within the store. And that includes creating jobs for each student and a schedule so everyone is on the same page. Check out this student job application and store order form from Antioch Middle for inspiration.

Want to improve your school culture and the rewards experience for your younger students? Check out our rewards menu for elementary students.

Need more help constructing your incentive program? It can be a bit overwhelming, so we created a complete guide to rewarding students so everything you need is in one convenient place. For more on establishing your own store you should check out episode 35 of our podcast, six steps to building a student-run rewards store.

Learn more about the author, 
Hannah Kelly
 
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A rewards store can be a major component of a school’s behavior system. Students see that the positive behaviors they show throughout the day can lead to a reward and encourages them to continue making positive choices. But, for the staff, running a store can be a major headache.

The store must be something that the students can rely on - it needs to be open regularly, stocked with plenty of options, manned by a store worker, and include regular communication.

So how can we make rewarding our students for the positive behavior they exhibit more sustainable? Put the students in charge!

What is a PBIS Store?

For schools that are running a PBIS system, they have behavior expectations in place and, most, have identified how they will recognize when students exhibit these behaviors. Many choose to create their own school currency that they hand out to students. Then, the students can use that currency to redeem rewards from the store.

The PBIS Store provides a real-world connection for the school and students with this currency. Students have the opportunity to purchase rewards and make real-life decisions like:

  • Should they use the small amount of money in their bank account for the little trinket? Or should they wait and save up for the bigger, more exciting item or experience?
  • If they see their friends getting the same little trinkets, is that how they want to spend their money, as well?
  • What do they need to do to earn more?

These questions plus many others are why schools take on the logistics of running a school reward store.

School Store Example

Benefits of a Student-Run Store

As mentioned, the store can be a big undertaking. You need to create a system where every student in your school has the opportunity to shop. Things you need to figure out include:

  • When is the store is open?
  • How will students shop?
  • When will they receive their purchases?
  • How will students know how much money they have in the bank account?
  • How much is each item? How will students know that?
  • Who will man the store?
  • How will we keep up with inventory?

This is A LOT for one person to handle, let alone a team of educators at your school that, no doubt, already have plenty on their plate. That’s where appointing students to help run your store is genius!

One option is to have students on your Store Advisory Board to help brainstorm new reward ideas that will be enticing to your student body. Or you can create student jobs for manning the store operations when it’s open. Another idea from Von Tobel Middle in Las Vegas, NV is to create a class where the students fulfill orders and deliver them to their peers. Learn more about their student run store here!

By allowing students to take ownership in this process you’re helping with buy-in but also providing leadership opportunities for the students: it’s win-win!

School Store Example

Steps to Setting Up Your Own PBIS Store

As you can see, planning and implementing a school store can be a lengthy process. Here are our recommendations for getting up and running:

Step 1: Create a Team

This team will be the ones creating the processes and running the day-to-day operations. We highly suggest setting up a regular meeting so that you can discuss how things are going and address any issues that arise.

Step 2: Identify the Rewards

Create a menu of rewards, whether physical, experiential or both, that your students can redeem. You will also need to determine the price for each reward. We got you covered with our Rewards that Rock database of 100+ reward ideas to start the brainstorming.

Step 3: Redeeming the Rewards

Identify how the students will be able to shop in your store. Is it a physical space, like a closet or table in the cafeteria, where students can come and look around, or will everything be on a cart that your team takes from class-to-class?

School Store Example

If it’s an experiential reward, when will the students be able to partake? Is it ongoing (like eating lunch with the Principal where they could have a list of students each week) or during a specific date/time? Also, make sure you have a way to identify the students that are partaking in the reward.

You can consider an app like LiveSchool to help with this very system.

School Store Example

Step 4: Store Hours

Providing consistent opportunities for your students to redeem rewards is imperative to getting buy-in. Determine how often your store will be open and when students will be able to shop.

Antioch Middle, in Nashville, TN, has their student-run store open for 30 minutes before school every week!

School Store Example

Step 5: Inventory

If you are including physical rewards, you will need to make sure there is a way to keep track of the inventory. You don’t want to have a student redeem a reward and then realize after the fact that you don’t have any more of that item. Plus, you will need an easy way to know when a re-order is needed.

Step 6: Marketing the Store

As with any system, it’s all about the buy-in! Make sure students are aware of the rewards you’re offering in the store or when they will have opportunities to redeem them. Use the morning or afternoon announcements to provide reminders and have your student leaders put up posters around the school to keep everyone updated.

Organization will be key in creating a sustainable system so make sure you have a plan for how you will keep track of all the moving parts within the store. And that includes creating jobs for each student and a schedule so everyone is on the same page. Check out this student job application and store order form from Antioch Middle for inspiration.

Want to improve your school culture and the rewards experience for your younger students? Check out our rewards menu for elementary students.

Need more help constructing your incentive program? It can be a bit overwhelming, so we created a complete guide to rewarding students so everything you need is in one convenient place. For more on establishing your own store you should check out episode 35 of our podcast, six steps to building a student-run rewards store.

Learn more about the author, 
Hannah Kelly
 

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