Examples of Young People Doing Amazing ThingsMar 22 2010by Caryn Shapiro-Stone, Program & Outreach CoordinatorSo often in the news we hear the negative – the violence, who was arrested, who injured whom. But simultaneously good things are happening, many times because of Safe School Ambassadors®. Safe School Ambassadors are doing amazing things each and every day all around the country, inspiring themselves to be better people, leading by example, and helping their peers to make better decisions. Being an Ambassador is not about being a “Safe School Angel.” Ambassadors are not just the “good” kids who do the right thing, most of the time. Ambassadors are a diverse group of students with social clout, for better or for worse, who have a sense of right and wrong and who, when equipped with non-violent communication skills, choose to be an agent of change, within themselves and with their friends and peers. What follows are examples of Ambassadors taking what are sometimes small actions that make a huge difference in this lives of their peers and in the climate of their school. Ambassadors are doing Amazing Things! In Texas last year, a high school student started dancing by herself to background music during a student meeting. Some classmates began to taunt her with whispers, jokes, and laughter. But the bullies quickly became silent when one of their peers, a Safe School Ambassador, joined the girl, who was enrolled in the school’s special education program. Then another student joined, and then more students joined in the dancing, changing the dynamic and making it an acceptable thing to do. Recently, Fort Worth, Texas experienced a severe and unprecedented storm that coincidently occurred during a Safe School Ambassadors training. After the first day of training, a new Ambassador noticed a student wearing flip-flops and who appeared to be freezing cold. This Ambassador went in search of shoes and socks for this chilly student and helped this person not only feel warm but also supported and cared for. Earlier this academic year, two Ambassadors at a Middle School in Northern California noticed a student sitting by himself at lunch everyday. Instead of leaving him there alone, the two Ambassadors asked the boy to join them for lunch. The boy refused their offer. So the next day the Ambassadors invited him again. Once again he refused, so they sat with him instead. The Ambassadors felt they had failed, but what they didn’t know is that the boy’s mother phoned the Principal to thank him for empowering students to reach out to her son, making him feel part of the school community. Ann, a 15-year old girl with cerebral palsy was able to attend a high school in California due in part to her service dog, Sierra. One day a student overheard four kids plotting a way to take the service dog away from Ann on the bus, and scheming about how they could get away with it. This student, a Safe School Ambassador, brought this information to a trusted teacher. The next day the teacher took the time to explain to the four kids that Sierra is NOT just a dog, but a very expensively-trained service dog needed to help Ann do things that she couldn’t do any other way, and that as a result of their threat, she was afraid to attend school with the dog. They seemed to understand and apologized to Ann. Ann brought Sierra back to school the next day, with the knowledge that she and her dog were being supported and looked out for. Ambassadors are doing amazing things. And with adult support they are making their schools safe, positive environments for learning, connecting, and thriving. 
Recent PostsHot news from the White HouseArne Duncan’s Opening Remarks at the 1st Annual Bullying Summit held in August 2010: “The Myths About Bullying: Secretary Arne Duncan’s Remarks at the Bullying Prevention Summit.” Fifth Grader Takes Action Against BullyingZiainey Stokes, a young student from West Philadelphia certainly provides timely evidence that schools are in critical need of programs such as Safe School Ambassadors to prevent violence and bullying in schools. CM Executive Director Delivers Keynote Address at Bullying Prevention Conference in BostonAs the Keynote Speaker, Community Matters Executive Director, Rick Phillips, shared with the audience that building a safer school climate is a complex process that requires a balance between attending to security as well as relationships. The Cost and Benefits of Caring in Spite of Bullying and Violent TraumaWhen schools tap into the power of the students and take time to show that they care, especially students affected by trauma, students become empowered. Bullying, Stress and Health: A Crisis in the MakingHere are some facts we have collected (and there are hundreds more) about the short- and long-term health effects of bullying: |