Student Employee Appreciation Week Ideas

Student Employee Appreciation Week Ideas Food Ideas: • Full-time staff bring in treats/lunch for student workers • Each day bring something different – cookies, popcorn, candy, etc.

• Fill goodie bags with small packs of crackers, cookies, candy, chips, etc.

• Pot luck • Fill a bowl or individual mini bowls daily, inexpensive yet tasty Other Ideas: • Take pictures of your student employees and post around the workplace, listing what makes them great • Send a note to the family of your student workers, letting them know what the student does, how their work impacts your department, and how terrific the student is for your department • Create silly awards: best telephone voice, best copier, etc.

• Spray paint a light bulb gold, screw into a jar of play-dough and make a label around the jar naming who is receiving the “Bright Idea” award • Fill plastic Easter eggs with goodies and give out with “Good Egg” certificates, listing what the student did to deserve it • Provide gift cards to fast food places, restaurants, SAA movies, Wal-Mart, Target, etc.

• Make up certificates and have them framed (Find decent frames at a dollar store or Wal-Mart) • Send your students a e-card stating your appreciation • Buy wooden back scratchers for staff. Attach a note that says "Thanks for the helping hand!"

• Have a secret pal that does/provides little things throughout the week. At the end of the week, host a lunch and reveal our secret pals.

Candy Ideas: • “Kudos to you!”

• “You are worth 100 Grand!”

• “You are out of this world!” (Mars or Milky Way) • “You deserve a Sweet Escape for all you do!”

• “Thanks for the Mounds of work you do!”

• “Thanks for putting up with us Ding Dongs!”

• “You are O'FISH'ally awesome!” (Gold Fish) • “We love you!!! XOXO” (Hershey's Hugs and Kisses) • “You deserve an extra Payday!”

• “Thanks for always being willing to do Extra!” (Gum) • “You are a Joy!” (Almond Joy) • “We are Nuts about you!”

• “Thanks for ‘pudding’ up with us!” (Snack pudding) Free Ideas: • Draw an outline of your hand on a piece of paper and photocopy enough copies for all students in your office; on each hand write a note that tells the student why they deserve a “Pat on the Back” • Use this week as an opportunity to start an award recognition program. Find a white elephant item and name the item for the award: Employee of the Month/Week, Great Idea Award, Gotcha Award (catch someone in the act of doing something good), etc. and then make the presentation of it during Student Employee Appreciation Week.

• Make a banner to hang for the whole week in your office • Decorate an office bulletin board or the office door for the week in recognition of your students • Invite student employees to your home for dinner – there is nothing better than a home cooked meal for a student!

• Use YOUR imagination… A simple THANK YOU for all they do will go a long way!

Theme Ideas: • "Chip, Chip, Hooray! Our staff is the best!" or "You're all that and a bag of chips!" (Serve bags of chips) • "Our student workers never dip down below our expectations!" (Serve dips) • "Our staff is red hot!" (Serve chips and salsa) • “Our staff floats above the rest!” (Serve root beer floats) • "We’re nuts about our staff!" (Serve nuts assortment) Have additional ideas or pictures displaying your appreciation efforts? Share them with us at careerservices@sfasu.edu and we'll post it on the Student Employee Appreciation Week website!