http://www.community-matters.org/blog/ en geo@community-matters.org Copyright 2011 2011-08-26T23:51:06+00:00 http://www.community-matters.org/blog/rick_phillips_speaks_on_bullying_at_the_clinton_school_of_public_service/ http://www.community-matters.org/blog/rick_phillips_speaks_on_bullying_at_the_clinton_school_of_public_service/#When:22:51:06Z by Nancy Doherty The Clinton School of Public Service invited Rick Phillips, Executive Director of Community Matters as one of their Distinguished Speakers for their series of public lectures in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Each year, the Clinton School selects a few leaders to speak on important current issues.  Past speakers have included Elizabeth Warren, Janet Napolitano and Gov. Mike Huckabee. Their invitation places Rick among a select group indeed. This Clinton School invitation underscores Rick’s position as the thought leader on the topic of bullying in schools. Click here to see Rick’s speech. While in Little Rock, Rick was also interviewed by the KTHV reporter, Craig O’Neill Click here to see Rick’s interview Rick describes bullying as an “epidemic” spreading across our schools.  New articles about bullying and its consequences land on the front page daily.  Although parents, teachers and school administrators recognize the impact of bullying in schools, they often have no idea how to go about finding a solution. A great place to start is right here on the Community Matters website. We have a long track record of success with training students and staff across the country to prevent bullying and improve school environments.  Take action today! • Forward this website to school administrators, trustees and teachers • Use our Loss and Cost Calculator • Purchase our book 2011-08-26T22:51:06+00:00 http://www.community-matters.org/blog/safe_school_ambassadors_school_nationally_recognized_for_its_tolerance_/ http://www.community-matters.org/blog/safe_school_ambassadors_school_nationally_recognized_for_its_tolerance_/#When:20:18:44Z Mesa Linda Middle School, a southern California school who launched the Safe School Ambassadors (SSA) program in November 2010 was nationally recognized for its tolerance efforts. The school was chosen from over 3,000 schools across the nation and designated a Mix It Up Model School by The Southern Poverty Law Center.  “We are delighted to recognize Mesa Linda Middle School,” said Teaching Tolerance Director Maureen Costello. “Mix It Up Model Schools have found innovative ways to create a school environment where respect and inclusiveness are core values. They serve as examples for other schools hoping to instill these values in their students, faculty and staff.”  Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, launched the Mix It Up program in 2002. By asking students to move out of their comfort zones and connect with someone new over lunch, the event encourages students to identify, question and cross social boundaries. Many schools plan activities for the entire day, and some use the event to kick off a yearlong exploration of social divisions. Last year, more than 3,300 schools took part. The Southern Poverty Law Center, based in Montgomery, Ala., is a nonprofit civil rights organization that combats bigotry and discrimination through litigation, education and advocacy. Mix It Up is a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance program, which aims to reduce prejudice and improve intergroup relations in the nation’s classrooms and communities. Community Matters was able to provide Mesa Linda Middle School with full SSA program funding thanks to its strategic partnership with Institute for Advancing Unity and the Southern California Schools Risk Management JPA. On April 11, 2011 Principal Douglas Newton wrote a letter to Community Matters … Dear Rick Phillips and Chris Pack, Mesa Linda Middle School was fortunate to be able to launch the Safe School Ambassador (SSA) program for the 2010-2011 school year. As principal, I had seen a need for a program to empower students to make better choices to avoid conflict and other unwanted behavior. We had experienced a large number of fights and excessive bullying - even after implementing strong anti-bullying consequences. The “girl drama” was pervasive and not a day went by without major incidents. I was disheartened and dismayed by the climate on campus. Upon hearing about SSA, I immediately began the process to become a SSA school. All pertinent paperwork was submitted, and since grant funding was available, I meticulously completed that paperwork and was pleased when we were selected. In October a process was introduced to seek nominations from staff for student candidates to be Safe School Ambassadors. Seventy were nominated to apply, and forty were selected. In addition to the forty students trained, 10 adults were trained as family group facilitators. The two day training was a powerful time. Most participants had never had the opportunity to openly discuss intolerance that they had observed and/or experienced. The trainers skillfully presented activities, both serious and fun and met the SSA goal to, “Empower leaders from the diverse groups and cliques on campus and equip them with nonviolent communication and intervention skills to stop bullying and violence among their peers.” Since the training, the family groups have met twice per month to report on their interactions with peers to alleviate bullying and violence. While I can’t say that we no longer have incidents, I can say that the program has had a positive impact on Mesa Linda. The very day that training was completed, a student used the strategies learned to influence a student to walk away from a conflict. I can’t tell you how proud he was to have had such influence by merely saying a few words to discourage the other student from fighting. The impact on other ambassadors has also been very significant. Some of our ambassadors indicate that they now view things differently than before and understand how influential peer-to-peer communication can be. It is my desire to continue and expand this powerful program. It has made a positive difference in a short amount of time, and I can only imagine what the future impact will be as the school culture continues to change. Douglas Newton, Principal Rachel Jauss, Dean Mesa Linda Middle School Victorville, California 2011-05-31T20:18:44+00:00 http://www.community-matters.org/blog/straight_talk_tnt_-_teens_n_twenties_publishes_article_praising_safe_school/ http://www.community-matters.org/blog/straight_talk_tnt_-_teens_n_twenties_publishes_article_praising_safe_school/#When:17:18:52Z Lauren Forcella, founder and editor of the website Straight Talk TNT: Teens ‘n Twenties, has written and published an article on her site praising the effectiveness of the Safe School Ambassadors program. It includes interviews with several Ambassadors telling their story of how SSA has changed their lives and significantly reduced bullying and harassment at their schools. Her full article is below, and we encourage you to visit her website at http://straighttalkforteens.com.  It contains a wide range of resources for helping young people cope with the issues that affect them most. Our thanks to Lauren for believing in the power of young people to positively change the world! April 27, 2011 A bullying solution that really works Dear Readers: If your school could have a superpower, what would it be? If it’s an anti-bullying superpower, you’re in luck. I’d like to shout from the rooftops about the “Safe School Ambassadors” program. Masterminded by Rick Phillips, founder of Community Matters in Sebastopol, California, the program is indeed a superpower. It works like this: Take any school. Out of 1000 students, pick the 40 most popular kids from each clique. Add popular teachers. Put everyone in a room together for two days and train them in non-violent communication and intervention. This blockbuster program has reduced bullying exponentially in over 900 schools. Yours could be next. Please check it out at www.community-matters.org or call (707) 823-6159. —Lauren Regina, 12, Redondo Beach, Calif.: I became a Safe School Ambassador in fifth grade. We learned how to diffuse difficult situations: exclusions, putdowns, physical contact, cyberbullying. I’m now not afraid to stand up to bullies. What an impact on our school! We have stopped fights and potential situations. One example was when everyone started kicking a girl out of a game. Though I barely knew her, I immediately took her and we played another game. She is now a great friend. Jesse, 18, Brockport, N.Y.: Because of the ambassador program, I changed from being one of those bullies to a person who speaks out and helps others be happy and successful. Since this program came to Brockport there are hardly any fights. People talk about their problems instead of fighting. Upperclassmen now help motivate underclassmen instead of picking on them. Some examples: In the locker room, two close friends from track were ripping someone who was overweight. I had to strength to say, “Hey! Maybe he’s trying to make a change. Bullying isn’t going to help!” Another time I sat with about six guys in the lunch room. An overweight kid named Zach was sitting alone and they decided to make fun of him. I told them to chill! I asked how they would feel if they sat alone? Now some of them actually sit with Zach and are becoming friends. All this makes me see how people can change so quickly when the right person tells them off. For instance, my two friends from track have now joined me in fighting the bullies. There’s a domino effect. Passakorn, 18, Riviera Beach, Florida: Being an ambassador has taught me that everyone is unique simply for being who they are. I have become more respectful and patient of the world. The school is knitted as a family with ambassadors all over campus looking out for their peers. We are lucky to have no fights. Yoseph, 12, Redondo Beach, Calif.: In ambassador training, we learned when to get an adult versus when to handle things ourselves. For example, you know there will be a fight. You know the toughest kids in school will hurt someone weak. You get a teacher and the problem is over. But for things like exclusion, you include the excluded person in your group. Or you diffuse things. Recently two kids started yelling and arguing. Probably someone said something offensive. I took the one I knew the most and distracted him. Omari, 17, Wellington, Florida: I remember my first ambassador training. We spoke about fears, drugs, family. I remember the question, “How many of you have family members who are alcoholics?” Almost 80 percent of the room raised their hands, including me. It was shocking how much we all had in common — which is what the Safe School Ambassadors Club is about. We are a family that helps others. Although I don’t know everyone in the club, our family feeling is obvious at our meetings. We just gel together. If people formed groups like this regularly, the world would be a much better place. For more discussion, to ask a question, or inquire about being a youth panelist, visit http://www.straighttalkTNT.com or write POB 963 Fair Oaks, CA 95628. More from LAUREN FORCELLA: Kindness truly is contagious — and so is cruelty. Humans are such social beings we tend to follow those who are popular, even when they’re doing what we know is wrong. Most people have a story of doing something mean just to look good. Or they have a story of looking the other way. Almost nobody has a story of standing up to bullies. The Safe School Ambassadors program changes all that by making the most popular kids peace leaders. It’s a brilliant idea — with a proven track record in over 900 schools. Schools have become places of fear and dread for many kids. And some kids who are bullied or excluded become emotionally disturbed — as we know from examining the underpinnings of school shootings. In fact, it was upon contemplating the horror at Colombine that Rick Phillips visualized the Safe School Ambassadors concept. The cost of running this program is small, especially compared to the value of having peaceful schools — and from there, a more peaceful world. Please help me shout this from the rooftops by taking a copy of this column to your school and requesting the program. —Lauren 2011-04-27T17:18:52+00:00 http://www.community-matters.org/blog/rick_-_keynote_speaker_at_the_national_school_board_association_conference/ http://www.community-matters.org/blog/rick_-_keynote_speaker_at_the_national_school_board_association_conference/#When:19:35:13Z Rick Phillips presented a two-hour keynote at the National School Board Association (NSBA) 71st Annual Conference on Saturday, April 8, held at the San Francisco Moscone Convention Center. Over 8,000 people attended the NSBA conference which featured a world-class two-day schedule focusing on the issues that every school board member needs to understand to have safe and high-performing schools. Rick’s keynote was addressed to more than 100 board trustees and school administrators of large and urban school districts throughout the country and Canada, and associated with the Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE). His message on Whole School Climate was the foundation for reducing bullying and violence and creating safer schools from the inside-out. Anne L. Bryant, Executive Director of NSBA came up to Rick following his presentation and thanked him for inspiring and informing the attendees with a very powerful message. To view his full description, click here. On Sunday, April 10, Rick also presented a one-hour workshop entitled, “Maintaining Safe and Bully-Free Schools in Challenging Economic Times”. The attendance was impressive –exceeding workshop expectations – with more than 70 participants. Rick’s workshop introduced the “School Climate Loss and Cost Calculator” to assess actual costs and losses associated with the absenteeism, vandalism, suspensions and expulsions. It also showcased proven and best-practice prevention and intervention strategies to reduce bullying and improve school climate and academic performance for our children. Priscilla B. Godfrey, Vice Chairman, Blue Ridge District (Loudoun County in Virginia) stood up during Rick’s presentation and recognized Rick and the effectiveness of the Safe School Ambassadors (SSA) program. Priscilla has witnessed the direct impact first-hand of the SSA program in 10 of the district’s 70 schools. To view his full description, click here. 2011-04-11T19:35:13+00:00 http://www.community-matters.org/blog/ssa_program_evaluation_report_shows_positive_results/ http://www.community-matters.org/blog/ssa_program_evaluation_report_shows_positive_results/#When:21:49:25Z A multi-year evaluation of the Safe School Ambassadors (SSA) program has been completed, with some very exciting and gratifying results. The two-part evaluation was designed to assess: the efficacy of the SSA program’s logic model (e.g. to what degree do the socially influential students who are trained as Ambassadors actually use their skills?) the program’s impact on school-level discipline indicators (e.g. how does fidelity of implementation correlate to program impact?) Several statistically significant outcomes were obtained. For the first part, a two-year evaluation was conducted in five middle schools in Texas using a quasi-experimental pre-post-post design. After two years, rates of helpful intervention were higher for male Ambassadors than for their demographically similar controls. Also, Ambassadors’ friends noticed more helpful interventions and reported observing less mistreatment than friends of Key Students at the control schools. Process data indicated positive effects on discipline and overall climate. For the second part, suspension and other discipline data was gathered from nineteen schools that implemented the SSA program with a high degree of fidelity to internal benchmarks, and from demographically matched non-SSA schools that served as controls. Analysis of suspensions and other discipline indicators at SSA schools showed reductions averaging 33% during more than 80 different years of program implementation, while indicators at control schools rose 10% during the same years. The evaluation is documented in this report: “The Safe School Ambassadors® Program: A Student Led Approach to Reducing Mistreatment and Bullying in Schools”.   The evaluation report has allowed us to submit the Safe School Ambassadors program to the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) for inclusion in its list of evidence-based programs. We have also submitted the SSA program to the Promising Practices Network. An article has been accepted for publication in a forthcoming special issue of The Clearing House; other journal articles are pending.  This fascinating and at times exhausting process was led by a dedicated team that included Dr. Alexander White, University of Texas, San Marcos, and Katherine Raczynski and Aijun Wang, both from the University of Georgia, Athens. Support for this program evaluation was provided in part by a grant from the Kaiser Permanente Foundation Community Benefit Program, Northern California Region. For questions or inquiries about the SSA Evaluation Report, please contact Chris Pack at or (707) 823-6159 x 105. 2011-04-07T21:49:25+00:00 http://www.community-matters.org/blog/we_can_do_something_about_bullying/ http://www.community-matters.org/blog/we_can_do_something_about_bullying/#When:16:26:59Z From Sebastopol, CA to Washington, D.C. — WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT BULLYING! Last fall several tragic suicides linked to bullying caught the nation’s attention and focused it on what has been a longstanding and pervasive problem in our schools. Community Matters, along with the Department of Education and numerous nonprofits across the country remain engaged on many fronts in efforts to prevent, reduce and stop bullying.  On Thursday, March 10, President Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama hosted in the White House East Room, a first ever, White House Summit on Bullying, in which the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools has been deeply involved in planning and executing.  Because the White House is an 18th century building, the physical audience was limited, but the event was streamed live on http://www.whitehouse.gov/ beginning at 10 am and was archived for those who chose to view it later. From the desk of Kevin Jennings, “Together we can make a difference in the struggle against bullying, and I am proud to say that this message will be coming directly from the President this week.” This morning, Lauren Forcella, Founder & Editor of Straight Talk TNT: Teens ‘n Twenties, posted this on http://apps.facebook.com/whitehouselive/: —“The best solution to bullying in high schools and middle schools is to teach popular students to be “Safe School Ambassadors.” Students are on the front lines of bullying…. most rarely makes it to faculty or staff. One popular kid doing the right thing and everyone follows their lead. I have done many columns on bullying in my Straight Talk TNT column, where I let a panel of 80 young people speak http://straighttalkTNT.com/. The program by Community Matters where they train the popular students in non-violent communication and social skills is the best thing I have found.” 2011-03-11T16:26:59+00:00 http://www.community-matters.org/blog/dateline_nbc_my_kid_would_never_bully/ http://www.community-matters.org/blog/dateline_nbc_my_kid_would_never_bully/#When:21:01:03Z On March 6 at 7pm, Dateline NBC aired a capturing program about bullying that I encourage everyone to watch. My Kid Would Never Bully. As a national epidemic affecting 3 million kids, this show demonstrates the importance of “Bystander Empowerment” efforts like Safe School Ambassadors. Parents, alongside parenting experts, watched what their own kids do as bystanders to staged bullying scenarios. You will be surprised to see what happens… Send us your commentary! Let us know how this show affects you and your understanding about bullying. Rick Phillips 2011-03-09T21:01:03+00:00 http://www.community-matters.org/blog/community_matters_posts_two_actions_on_mtvs_draw_your_line/ http://www.community-matters.org/blog/community_matters_posts_two_actions_on_mtvs_draw_your_line/#When:21:02:19Z Community Matters, along with Hollywood stars like Justin Bieber, took a stand against cyberbullying and bullying by posting two actions on MTV’s “Draw Your Line”, a virtual map tracking actions taken across the United States to stop digital abuse. Community Matters’ Draw Your Line actions are now part of a national effort to call attention to the growing epidemic affecting hundreds of thousands of youth across the nation. Hollywood stars, MTV and Facebook take a stand against cyberbullying, read more.  2011-02-17T21:02:19+00:00 http://www.community-matters.org/blog/rick_phillips_visits_capitol_hill/ http://www.community-matters.org/blog/rick_phillips_visits_capitol_hill/#When:17:24:32Z Rick Phillips will speak in front of Congressional Officials on Friday, January 21 in Washington, D.C. More than 50 participants from legislative offices, national education organizations and federal agencies will attend the briefing in which Phillips and two other members of the School Climate Consortium will highlight proven ways the government and communities can work together to ensure that youth attend schools where they feel welcome, included, and both physically and emotionally safe. The School Climate Consortium is an innovative national collaborative of youth-serving nonprofit agencies (including Community Matters), community-based organizations and local education institutions unified by a common guiding principle: positive school climate is essential in the creation of an environment in which youth can learn and thrive. “In safer school climates … students’ behaviors, attendance and grades improve. At the same time, incidents of violence and mistreatment as well as administrative time spent on disciplining students decreases,” said Phillips. Rick Phillips, along with David Rose and Jaime Polson will present the School Climate Consortium’s two-page briefing “Creating a Positive School Climate through Empowered Communities: A Framework for Bullying Prevention” to officials. 2011-01-21T17:24:32+00:00 http://www.community-matters.org/blog/defying_gravity_-_bullying_is_wicked/ http://www.community-matters.org/blog/defying_gravity_-_bullying_is_wicked/#When:20:35:33Z After reading this essay I immediately thought “Whitney would make a great Safe School Ambassador (SSA)!”. Community Matters’ SSA program is all about standing up to bullies by showing empathy to those being picked on or excluded. The person to do this is someone with a strong sense of self and the courage to be an individual who doesn’t need to follow the crowd. Few schools have fully engaged, equipped and empowered their students as peace-makers. In fact, these schools already have change-agents in their midst and could easily utilize them with just a little bit of training from a Safe School Ambassador (SSA) Coach. Whitney is an 11’th grade student from Meyersdale Area High School in PA. Her inspirational and award-winning essay can be downloaded here. Whitney states, “I choose to “Defy Gravity” everyday. I strive to be a good person to everyone around me ... I find happiness in being nice and bringing joy to others. That is how I Defy Gravity.” To change the climate of a school may seem insurmountable, but as the song (from Wicked - Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz) says: “I’m through accepting limits, Cause someone says they’re so. Some things I cannot change, But till I try, I’ll never know!” Thank you Whitney for the beautifully inspired essay! By , Community Matters Office Coordinator 2010-12-23T20:35:33+00:00