Neither the founder of ChatterHigh nor the educators who have embraced the website deny itB次元官网网址檚 a company, supported largely by businesses with their own vested interests, targeting high school students.
ItB次元官网网址檚 also a fundraising tool that 2,048 students at 81 public and private schools in B.C. accessed last year.
On ChatterHigh.com, students, teachers, parents and alumni earn points by answering multiple choice quizzes, and later use those points to enter draws for prizes as small as gas cards, and up to big ticket items such as iPads and scholarships.
The questions are provided by a variety of sources B次元官网网址� post-secondary institutions, attractions and industries, anywhere from Q College to the B.C. Turkey Farmers B次元官网网址� all of whom share the goal of attracting traffic deep into their own websites.
Each quiz question includes a hint in the form of a link to a question providerB次元官网网址檚 website where the answer can be found with some light reading. Each click on the hint links allows the person answering the questions to earn bonus points toward entering draws, and earns Chatter High some cash, as question providers pay six to 10 cents per click, depending on how targeted their audience is. Each high school also receives a portion of these proceeds.
Lee Taal, director of operations for Chatter High, which has offices in Royal Oak and Vancouver, describes the relationship between schools and as a self-funding model between the user and the organization trying to connect with them.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 completely comfortable with it,B次元官网网址� Taal said. B次元官网网址淭he overwhelming feedback is that this is a very good thing.B次元官网网址�
Spectrum Community School principal Judy Harrison agrees. Not only did the 640 students, teachers and parents from the Spectrum community registered on Chatter High earn a $2,500 prize toward the schoolB次元官网网址檚 first dry grad party last month, but Taal was also asked to deliver the keynote address to the 2012 graduating class. It was the first time someone from the business sector took on the role, though his talk reached well beyond Chatter HIgh, Harrison said.
B次元官网网址淚t was serendipitous how many people it drew in,B次元官网网址� Harrison said, adding that she and some of her colleagues engaged in a little healthy competition when earning points toward a resort prize draw.
Harrison justifies the inclusion of businesses on the site, most which have no clear connection to education, since theyB次元官网网址檙e merely providing incentives for students, such as gift certificates for gas or ferry travel.
B次元官网网址淚 guess weB次元官网网址檙e all enticed by prizes,B次元官网网址� Harrison said. B次元官网网址淭he (most) time was spent on answering the questions, so thatB次元官网网址檚 where it was consistent.B次元官网网址�
While Patrick Duncan, associate superintendent for the Greater Victoria School District, hasnB次元官网网址檛 experienced any negative feedback from Chatter High so far, he acknowledges the fine line the district treads between supporting commercialism and giving schools alternatives to generate funds.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a line that all principals have to look at when youB次元官网网址檙e looking at fundraising opportunities and involving any commercial enterprises,B次元官网网址� Duncan said. B次元官网网址淚 know our principals are careful, but that is a difficult line. ItB次元官网网址檚 a principalB次元官网网址檚 prerogative and duty to be watching this.B次元官网网址�
When a student at Mount Douglas secondary asked Taal directly if his participation on the site was supporting a business, Taal said he had no qualms telling the student the truth. Chatter High is clearly a business, not a non-profit organization, he said.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the right choice for us. We could make it a non-profit, but then we would have to spend a lot of our time fundraising, whereas the organizations that weB次元官网网址檙e trying to help with this collaboration, they have budgets. Their plan is to spend some money to do this engagement already, so thatB次元官网网址檚 where the money should come from.B次元官网网址�
Chatter High will host four competitions for major prizes this September through November in Greater Vancouver and the Island. The combined population of the group of schools included is one-quarter of the provinceB次元官网网址檚 high school students and Taal has plans for expansion.
B次元官网网址淟ike most start-ups, itB次元官网网址檚 not profitable yet,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not planning on it this year B次元官网网址� We hope it will be in the future.B次元官网网址�
nnorth@saanichnews.com
