Student Programs & School Grants

Honor Cord

The Honor Cord program recognizes graduating students who #GiveForLife!

How It Works

The Honor Cord program awards students who have made the choice to donate life-saving blood by giving at least two times at their school’s Carter BloodCare high school blood drives during their Senior year.

The students’ high school must host two blood drives during each school year on campus and within school hours for their students to qualify for a cord.

Students ineligible to donate due to age, weight, or other restrictions may be eligible by asking an adult to give in their name. Students cannot donate on behalf of other students.

Additionally, students ineligible to give blood may be eligible by actively participating as a volunteer on their high school’s blood drive committee. Deferrals do not count.

Benefits

Honoring these students emphasized the value of serving the community through blood donation.

Please note that seniors need approval from administration to wear the cords at graduation.

We would like to thank all of our student blood donors and volunteers for their support to the community blood supply!

For questions about this program, please email honorcord@carterbloodcare.org.

Junior Leaders

Welcome to Jr. Leaders, where we bring community engagement to your school! The curriculum is easy to facilitate and turns giving back into a medal-worthy adventure.

How It Works

Carter BloodCare’s Jr. Leaders program teaches elementary and middle school-aged students about community resources, sustainability, and the science behind blood donation. Students complete learning activities and are encouraged to host a blood drive as a school service project, recruiting parents, teachers and staff to donate.

If you are interested in joining the Jr. Leaders Program, please email bookablooddrive@carterbloodcare.org to learn more.

Benefits

At Carter BloodCare, we believe that championing health in our communities provides the building blocks for a brighter future for all Texans.

Students who participate in the program help educate their community and encourage others to donate blood.

Studies show that hands-on social responsibility projects like hosting a community blood drive can boost student achievement and future civic engagement.

Great Leaders

Carter BloodCare’s Great Leaders Initiative is a day-long conference that helps high school students learn how to inspire others to save lives. The conference may include: games, raffles, lunch, dynamic guest speakers and tours of facilities and hospitals.

How It Works

Carter BloodCare’s Great Leaders Initiative helps high school students learn how to inspire others to save lives. The conference provides high school leadership teams with an up-close look at how blood donation and volunteering strengthens communities.

If you are interested in joining Great Leaders, please email bookablooddrive@carterbloodcare.org to learn more.

Benefits

“Students are the future leaders of tomorrow. The Great Leaders program explores leadership skills, teaches them to inspire others and helps develop the knowledge to serve their community through blood banking and volunteering. This is one way we can help the next generation of leaders.”

Vickie Carpenter
Manager of Operations, Carter BloodCare

Great Grants Program

We believe that high schools are at the forefront of instilling blood donation as a lifelong practice in young people, so the Great Grants program was created to reward schools that participate in supporting our community blood supply by hosting blood drives.

How It Works

We will award schools that have met the following requirements within a year’s time, starting on June 1, 2024 and ending on May 31, 2025.

If your school currently hosts Carter BloodCare blood drives:

  • Meet your goal
  • Host a minimum of three blood drives
  • At least two of the drives need to be during the school year, during school hours

If your school is not currently hosting Carter BloodCare blood drives:

  • Host a minimum of two blood drives at the high school during the current school year, during school hours
  • Achieve the goal(s) established
  • Blood drive goal(s) will be established in conjunction with your Carter BloodCare consultant

Note: Automation, if available, will be utilized at both blood drives

Benefits

Public and private high schools who meet the requirements will be entered to win a Great Grant. Carter BloodCare awards Great Grants based on the school’s overall annual blood drive performance and eligibility.

More than 100 lucky schools won a Great Grant supporting student scholarships for their participation in blood drives! We’re rewarding schools and students for going above and beyond, so get involved for your school’s chance to win! Give more, get more with the Carter BloodCare Great Grants Program.