{"id":1019,"date":"2012-06-10T12:06:05","date_gmt":"2012-06-10T19:06:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/?p=1019"},"modified":"2012-06-10T12:06:05","modified_gmt":"2012-06-10T19:06:05","slug":"bright-idea-report-card-rewards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/audience\/2012\/06\/bright-idea-report-card-rewards\/","title":{"rendered":"Bright Idea: Report Card Rewards"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>To claim that Mimi’s Cafe<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0“delights the senses with cuisine that has a touch of “Gourmet Francais””<\/em>\u00a0 is probably grounds for deep offense among legions of French chefs – and the subject of heated debate among philosophers and\u00a0physicists alike as to how incredibly small the measure of \u00a0“a touch” must be.<\/p>\n

But Mimi’s Cafe does something profoundly smart and simple that should serve as a point of inspiration…<\/p>\n

It’s been a while since my kids were young enough (so I’m fuzzy on the specifics), but the gist is that\u00a0Mimi’s Cafe distributes certificates to local elementary schools that are sent home with year-end report cards. \u00a0The certificate advises parents that if your child has earned all A’s & B’s, then they have also earned a free dessert at Mimi’s Cafe.<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, why not create a Report Card Reward from your own arts or cultural organization that says, “In appreciation of your child’s artistic pursuit, they’ve earned a complimentary ticket\/admission” – <\/strong>and distribute it to strategically selected schools, teachers or resources, for example:<\/p>\n