What is Senior Survivor? 

Senior Survivor is a charity fundraiser organized by Howell High School Student Council. The fundraiser is a game similar to the show Survivor.  Rather than being sent to an island, 12th grade survivors are in the school for a whole week and each day a number of survivors will be eliminated until only one remains and is crowned the “Ultimate Survivor.” 

In the weeks leading up to being locked in the school, survivor contestants spend time raising money for the given charity. During the week of the competition, survivors will participate in challenges similar to those on the TV show. The winner of each night’s immunity challenge will be safe from being eliminated the following day. In order to avoid elimination, students turn in a donation bucket each day at the end of lunch. They use their donations and “play” a donation amount. The survivor(s) who plays the smallest amount of money each day will be eliminated. Once eliminated, they will pack their belongings and return home. 

Who is on the Senior Survivor Team? 

The Student Council Class Advisors of each grade level make up the Senior Survivor Team. They have worked together since its inception to develop and grow the Senior Survivor experience for all of the Howell Public Schools community. In addition there is a group of elementary and middle school teachers who run the junior and middle survivor programs. 

How is the charity selected? 

Each year, Howell High School Student Council is contacted by various local organizations asking to partner with Senior Survivor. The senior class Student Council looks at the organizations who have contacted us, along with other potential causes that interest them as a class. They then have discussions and vote on a charity that they want to recommend for that year’s competition. The Student Council advisors review the selected charity and will make the approval. The charity for each year’s competition is usually announced in December or January. A list of the charities that we have donated to can be found here. 

How are the senior survivors selected? 

12th grade students interested in applying must complete an online application as well as make a short video. HHS Student Council advisors will review all applications and videos in early March. They also look at grades and attendance for each applicant and receive input from teachers, counselors, and principals. They also look at the applicant’s community involvement and extracurricular activities. When making selections, advisors make sure that our survivors come from various groups within our school and community so that our survivors truly represent all of HHS. 

There is no set number of survivors who are selected. In the past we have had anywhere between 12 and 16 survivors selected in a given year. There is also no set number of Student Council members who are selected as survivors. Any Student Council member who is selected to be a survivor will not be a part of any challenge planning. 

5th grade “junior survivors” and 8th grade “middle survivors” are also selected and assigned to a senior survivor to make a team of survivors. The 5th and 8th grade survivors are selected by a committee of elementary and middle school teachers. 

How do survivors raise money for the charity? 

Donations from generous community members are the main way that our students raise money each year. Some community members simply make a cash donation while others donate at the various fundraising events that our survivors host. In the past, survivors have organized bake sales, car washes, musical performances, family swim nights, coaching clinics, and a variety of other events to raise money. We also host a kick off event to start the competition and all money raised at this event goes directly to the charity. 

Another way that survivors raise money is through approaching businesses and asking them to be a sponsor. Survivors are not required to get any business sponsors but we have many local businesses who have been very generous to us over the years. The business sponsors for the current year are listed on our website as well as our social media pages for the community to see. 

5th and 8th grade survivors also raise money through their own fundraising efforts at home and at school. The money they raise can be played by their 12th grade teammate to stay in the competition. 

How is the ultimate survivor crowned? 

On the final day of “Survivor Week,” any remaining survivors turn in all of the donations that they haven’t already played. The survivor who has the highest total on the last day is the “Ultimate Survivor” and will be crowned at our finale, usually hosted during an all-school assembly! 

Senior Survivor Social Media Pages

Twitter - @HowellSurvivor

Instagram - HowellSurvivor

Facebook - www.facebook.com/HowellSurvivor

YouTube Channel - Howell Survivor