Up Close and Local is a phrase used to describe auction items of highly personal – and often priceless – appeal to local communities.

These types of items generate lots of excitement… and even more bidding activity! With a few special requests to the right folks, Up Close and Local catalog items can make all the difference to your auction’s bottom line.

Schools are perfect ecosystems for these items. Here’s a roundup of 25 popular Up Close and Local Items – and Item Descriptions – for K-12 Schools. What would they be worth to your community?

1. Principal for half a day, including lunch

Give your student an experience they will never forget: the opportunity to be Principal for half-a-day! Your student will see how it feels to be the leader of a school, complete with the chance to have lunch with his/her Principal.

2. Secretary’s Assistant for half a day, including breakfast

Everyone knows it: it’s the Secretary that rules the school! Give your student an experience they will never forget: the opportunity to be the Secretary’s Assistant for half-a-day! Including an energizing breakfast, your student will work alongside your school’s secretary and learn the ins & outs of managing the day-to-day office duties their school.

3. Assistant chef in the school cafeteria for a day

Is lunchtime your student’s favorite class? Give your student an experience they’ll never forget: the opportunity to assist their school’s head chef for a day. Students will get a behind-the-scenes look at how and why their school lunches are chose, and also get their hands dirty by helping prepare and serve them!

4. PE coach’s assistant for half a day, including lunch

Is your student a natural-born athlete? Is he or she the first to organize a kickball game at recess? Give your star player the chance to be the Physical Education Coach’s Assistant for half a day! Including lunch, your student will follow in the footsteps of your school’s coach: helping out in gym class, managing locker rooms, organizing gym equipment, etc. Workout clothes, required!

5. Night out with your favorite teacher

Teachers are people, too! Give your student the chance to get to know how cool his/her favorite teacher is, outside the classroom. “A night out” can be anything from pizza and mini-golf, to seeing a movie, to going to a local sporting event!

6. Lunch provided for one week, personally delivered to the cafeteria by your favorite teacher

What’s better than ordering lunch from the person that orders you to do homework? One lucky student will be served their choice of lunch, brought every day for a week to the school cafeteria by their favorite teacher.

7. Family fun pack discount admissions to all school activities

This item affords one lucky family discount admissions to an assortment of school activities! Activities could include: sporting events, graduations, plays, science fairs, concerts, pot-luck dinners, etc.

8. Reserved parking spot for a family for the school year

Does your school have limited parking space? Take the stress out of daily drop-offs and pick-ups with reserved parking for a year! The winner of this items will be designated a prime parking spot reserved solely for the use of their family. You’ll be the envy Caravans everywhere!

9. Front row seats at your school’s holiday concert

Is your student a musical genius, but you can’t quite hear their brilliant sonatas from the back row of the school auditorium? This item will afford you prime, front-row seating at your school’s holiday concert where you’ll enjoy unobstructed listening & views of all the pageantry of the season.

10. Front row seats at your school’s graduation

Graduation ceremonies are too special to be sitting in the nosebleeds! Enjoy front-row seating at your student’s graduation and watch him/her obtain their diploma, up-close-and-personally!

11. School spirit wear basket

Show your school spirit by donning the latest t-shirts, hats, sweatpants, and jacket within this Spiritwear basket!

12. Your student gets to make daily announcements for one week

“Move over, Diane Sawyer!” The lucky winner of this item will take over the role of your school’s Morning Announcer for a one-week period. Let your student be the one to break all the cool school news!

13. Private sports lessons from the school coach for a week, etc.

Crave some extra pointers about soccer, basketball, or gymnastics? The lucky student awarded this item will receive private lessons from the school coach – in the sport of their choice – for a period of one week. Imagine: your own personal trainer!

14. Pizza Party for your class

Treat your student’s class to one, lunchtime pizza party.

15. Ice-cream social for your class

We all scream for ice cream! Treat your student’s class to an ice-cream social!

16. Take a limo to school!

The big, yellow school bus will never be the same after your student is whisked off to school in a limousine! S/he will feel like a million bucks when s/he and three friends are picked up in the morning and driven to school via limousine.

17. One-time Library book late-fee waiver

Coughing up cash for library late fees? Not a chance! This item will entitle you student to one “opportunity” to be free from incurring overdue book fees.

18. Class picnic

Embrace the good weather and treat your class to an outdoor, lunchtime picnic!

19. Free class pictures for your student

It’s a fall right-of-passage: the yearly school photo. The winner of this item will enjoy a free photo-package from your school photographer.

20. Choose your locker

What could be better than choosing a locker in an ideal location? The lucky student who is awarded this item will be granted the privilege of selecting the locker of their choice for an entire year.

21. Extra recess time for your class

Entitle your favorite student to an elongated recess during the school day! This item will afford one lucky class an extra 15 minutes of recess.

22. Cafeteria carte blanche

The recipient of this item will be entitled to one “carte blanche” lunch in the school cafeteria: any items from the hot lunch & a la carte menu… for free!

23. Adopt-A-Book

Adopting a book for your School Library is the perfect way to remember a loved one, honor a student, recognize a teacher, or celebrate a special occasion! By donating to the Adopt-A-Book fund, you are providing for the purchase of a book, to be selected by your school’s librarian.

24. Fund-a-Need

Fund-A-Need gives donors the opportunity to make every classroom a teaching conference room. Help us equip a classroom with projectors, electronic whiteboards, DVD players and other essential tools of 21st century teaching. These Smart Classroom systems are a long-term investment in the school and will engage our kids for years to come.

25. A Uniform-Free Day!

The lucky student who wins this item is entitled to wear their “play clothes” for the day, adhering to standard dress code policies. (Consider offering multiples of this item!)

~Elle Callahan, Director, Knowledge Management