Prevention
In schools
Below you can read an example of how we structure and work in schools.
Make a Change: Program for schools
Recommended age:
12 – 16
Delivered To:
Children/Students
Teachers and staff
Parents
Components:
Component 1 : A positive school community
Component 2 : Social and emotional learning for students
Component 3 : Technical and educational learning for teachers, staff and parents
Issues:
Social and emotional skills
Bullying
Belonging and Connectedness
Target group:
Children, educators, parents and support staff in elementary (primary) schools.
Aims:
The Maka a Change program has a dual focus on bullying and friendship. It is designed to decrease bullying at school and help students build more supportive relationships with each other. The roles of children who bully, children who are the targets of bullying, and the ‘bystanders’ are addressed. The program focuses on developing the skills of teachers, administrators, parents, and other adults to develop a school-wide approach to bullying, while training students to make and keep friends, as well as recognise, resist and report bullying behaviour.
Implementation / Delivery Details:
DETAILS:
Student Components
Social-emotional competence
Emotional Intelligence skills include:
- Perspective taking and empathy
- Managing emotions
Self Management skills include:
- Risk assessment and decision making
- Setting and achieving positive goals
Social Skills include:
- Assertive communication
- Distinguishing intentional hurt from unintentional hurt
- Conflict resolution
- Building and maintaining friendships
- Academic skills
- Positive social values
Staff Components
Staff training consists of four segments:
- All-staff training
- Coaching training
- Curriculum orientation
- Booster sessions
Family Components
A family overview presentation provides information about the skills and values children learn in the Make a Change program, and ways families can support their children in dealing with bullying. Additional family contact is made through a series of family handouts included with the student lessons.
Structure / Methods of Delivery:
The Make a Change program is divided into three phases:
Phase 1:
This is where we establishes a school-wide framework, which includes assessing your current situation, creating anti-bullying policies and procedures, communicating expectations, and determining consequences for bullying behaviour.
Phase 2:
This phase involves all school staff being trained in how to recognise bullying and receive reports from students. Select staff members are trained to work directly with children involved in bullying incidents. Families are introduced to the program during this phase as well.
Phase 3:
Make a Change educators deliver the skill lessons. Students learn and practice skills, including how to recognise, refuse, and report bullying and make friends.
Staff professional learning:
The Make a Change program contains everything needed for training staff and introducing families to the program. On-site professional development (facilitator training) is offered by Make a Change.