What Administrators Say About Bullying and Safe School AmbassadorsFeb 01 2010by Suzanne Yeomans, Program CoordinatorAt Community Matters, we know that the real measurement of our Safe School Ambassadors Program comes not so much from the people here who created it, but rather from the every-day unsolicited and heartfelt testimonials that flood our email in-box from campuses nationwide. What administrators, counselors and teachers are experiencing in regards to overall bullying reduction on their campuses, whether new to the program or years into it, is evidence of the power of young people to speak up and prevent harassment, intolerance and violence in their schools and communities. Here are a few examples of what our Safe School Ambassador Program adults are saying about what is happening for them and their Ambassadors on their campuses: From Deborah Hall, Principal of Healdsburg Junior High School in Northern California: “School-wide, since the beginning of the program in 2006, we have seen a powerful and growing positive impact on our school climate. Fighting and bullying have slowed down significantly and many of our students show no hesitation when they need to intervene and diffuse a situation. Students continuously share stories of how they used their SSA skills at home, on their sports teams, or other community activities. The skills they learn, they take with them. Overall, our students are treating each other with more respect and also reaching out for adult help when needed. Even with a growing enrollment, our discipline data reflects this impact with detention and suspension numbers declining sharply (since SSA Program implementation.)” From Debbie Woodson, District Guidance Coordinator of the Friendswood Independent School District in Friendswood Texas: “I have been involved with many programs over the years, but I truly feel this one (SSA) will make a difference with our students. After the training, I have been hearing many positive things around campus from teachers and students. One of our Ambassadors came by to share with me that he had never noticed how much bullying went on until after he returned from the training. He now notices and has a multitude of skills to try to stop it. I would love to be a trainer for this program. I feel that strongly about it!” From Principal Melanie Sembritzki, Ronald Reagan Elementary School in Kingsburg, California: “I have noticed a definite decrease in the numbers of students being suspended this year already. I think just having the kids now aware that there are Ambassadors out there for them has made a difference. I can also tell when I am talking to an Ambassador now. The vocabulary that the students use and their description of how they intervened (on bullying and violence) are very impressive. So thank you!” From Keri Lew, Principal of Henry Clay Middle School in Los Angeles, California: “At the onset of the program I noticed a number of Safe School Ambassadors implementing the skills that they had begun to learn as they were in social settings at lunchtime…a lot of these students began to act as liaisons between our adult supervision personnel and the students on campus. I believe that the students who are a part of SSA feel a greater sense of accountability to the school and this is significant because it is the first step in developing a sense of pride in their community. As we struggle through layoffs, budget cuts and class size increases, it is vital to find ways to support one another and to support our students in creating a strong sense of self, and for us the SSA Program has been beneficial in that regard!” Click here on evidence of success for more testimonials from others who have implemented the Safe School Ambassadors Program.
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