Students and sponsors may enter the program at anytime of the year. The only difference is the starting sponsorship rate, which is described in a later question. Read over the website and then complete the secure online application. Links are in the bottom menu of most pages in this website.

Parents are expected to go through the information pack with their child, and discuss the commitment they are making. Parents will also need to work with their children to find sponsors. The Foundation recommends that parents sit down with their child for a monthly talk. Topics in the Life-Skills Program may provide a good starting point for these discussions.

The R.E.W.A.R.D.S. Life Skills Program will provide information on a variety of topics that contribute to success in life, such as communication skills, career planning, goal setting, and money management among other topics. This program will be developed in collaboration with the students in the program, so it will be of interest to THEM!.

As a condition of being in the program, students will take a Carbon Monoxide (CO) breathalyzer test about once a year. The test is sensitive enough to distinguish between first and secondhand smoke. If a CO test shows smoking, we will advise you of the process for getting back into good standing. Participants can earn credits by doing community service hours, writing a report on their experience, and having four consecutive clean CO tests. R.E.W.A.R.D.S. may also increase the frequency of CO testing and randomly select students to take the test. Tests are simple and quick and will be conducted at a location in the student's community.

Students sign up then find sponsors willing to support them in their decision to stay in school and to not smoke. We ask sponsors to commit for at least one year.

Students and sponsor may enter the program at any time. 

Students need to maintain the level of sponsorship for the duration of the program, until graduation. You can have more or less than 4 sponsor if the total amount of ssponsorship is met. We encourage sponsors to commit to more than one year, and to ask existing sponsors to renew their pledge at the end of each year. Participants will find getting renewals relatively easy as sponsors have become used to their financial commitment. Sponsors will be committed to the child's success and will continue to support the child to completion.

How does a student qualify for their cash reward?

Stay in school, keep 4 sponsorships and don't smoke. That's it.

To accommodate variations in how life plays out for different people, we will use a credit system to determine eligibility for the REWARD. The students must accumulate enough credits to qualify for their REWARD. This allows for flexibility in how students earn their credits.

Credits are given for each sponsorship payment in their name received by the Foundation, for each successful carbon monoxide test, and for graduating high school.

Sponsorship funds are deposited into the Foundation bank account. Money is set aside to fund a reward for each successful participant. The balance is used to fund the Life-Skills Program, Carbon Monoxide (CO) testing, and program administration. Any funds remaining after essential program costs are funded are redirected to program expansion, and to subsidize disadvantaged youth. 

A portion of all sponsor funds is set aside as funds are received, and placed in a managed trust. These funds may not be used for other purposes, thus guaranteeing the reward for each successful participant. The organization is run by a board of directors, is audited annually and our financial statements are posted for all to see. 

All funds are managed by an independent investment management company and for an organization this public and important, it will be managed by a company that has decades of experience, success and credibility. No one can predict market volatility, therefore there is no fund manager that can offer 100% guarantees on anything. We are fortunate that our fund is a long term fund and traditionally markets advance over time, so there is more predictability for long term investments. Our financial projections are based conservatively on only a 4% return per year. Most NGOs invest their funds in this way and are regulated by Government.

R.E.W.A.R.D.S.™ will work with participants and their parents to ensure they have the skills to find sponsors. Disadvantaged participants who are unable to find enough sponsors may be eligible for limited subsidies, provided they meet strict eligibility criteria. Other participants may be eligible for a reduced reward amount. Participants who do not demonstrate a reasonable effort at securing sponsors may be declined participation in the program. Final decisions on participation are at the sole discretion of the R.E.W.A.R.D.S.™ Foundation.

Funds from extra sponsors will be used to fund program expansion and to subsidize disadvantaged participants who are unable to find enough sponsors.

No - we are not registered as a charitable organization.

R.E.W.A.R.D.S. will encourage sponsors to fulfill their commitment, and will provide reminders if monthly donations are overdue. If a sponsor still decides to withdraw, the student is responsible for finding a new sponsor.

If a student takes a leave of absence from school (for any reason), then re-enrolls in school within one calendar year, they will be allowed to continue in the R.E.W.A.R.D.S. Program. Sponsorship donations will need to be caught up. Participants who drop out, or are suspended, may be required to write a report or proposal in order to be reinstated in the program. If a participant is out of school for longer than one calendar year, they will be deemed to have withdrawn from the program and will not be eligible for a reward. Credits for the funds donated by sponsors of that student will be reallocated to students in need.