Bobby, a student at Pahoa High and Intermediate School, is one of 10 Grand Prize Winners of the Box Tops for Education Kids’ Caucus Essay Contest.

In the Box Tops for Education program families send their box tops from General Mills products to schools.  General Mills donates 10 cents to the school for each box top.  Schools are issued two checks per year for redeemed Box Tops.

Bobby’s award-winning essay was selected by a panel of expert judges from more than 2,000 entries across the United States.

The essay presented a creative and practical approach to improving parental involvement at his school.  Bobby recommended that his school initiate “Project Partnership Memories,” a program that will utilize digital photography to document the time that parents and students spend together working on school-related activities.

In his essay, Bobby states that the project will encourage both parental involvement in schools and “increase technology skills through the use of digital photography and computers.”

To launch the program, Bobby recommends three steps to ensure success. First, the school will “plan and promote partnership activities between parents, students and teachers.” Second, photographs will be taken of the partnership activities to capture key accomplishments and progress. Finally, the best photographs will be assembled in a digital “memory-book” that will be shared with the entire school.  

“Bobby Rivera has shown us a creative approach to strengthening our schools, families and communities,” said Abercrombie.  “All Hawaii is proud of his prize winning achievement.”

Read essay here

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