A school district staffer and three youth from New Westminster School District's RespectED Bullying Prevention Program were invited to attend the ERASE bullying prevention summit recently to share their experiences in delivering peer-based workshops in classrooms.
"We are very proud of our students, and were grateful for the opportunity to share our experiences and successes at the summit," said district community school coordinator Ashley Currie, who went with the students to the event, said in a media release.
The group works closely with the Canadian Red Cross, which created the RespectED Program.
"We really believe in the peer-based delivery model and the emphasis on the role of the bystander as effective means to create a culture of respect where peers hold each other accountable," Karen Moss, Red Cross RespectED education advisor, said in the release. "The New Westminster facilitators are an excellent example of youth taking action to prevent bullying in their community."
The summit took place Tuesday, Nov. 13 at the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue in Vancouver.
The purpose of the summit was to bring together education and community partners, students, parents, government and anti-bullying experts to discuss ways of addressing bullying and safety issues in schools.
"The students spoke with integrity and inspiration, and they garnered many accolades from summit attendees," said Currie. "They conveyed their passion for creating a culture where bullying is the uncool thing to do, and demonstrated their commitment to being a part of the solution."
New Westminster School District is also holding a parent information session on suicide prevention on Tuesday, Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. at the NWSS school library.
There will be a number of presenters and parents will learn the warning signs of suicide and where to find help.
For more information, contact Currie at acurrie@ sd40.bc.ca.
Have an item for Class Act? Send education and school-related tips to Niki Hope at nhope@royalcityrec ord.com, by fax to 604-4443460 or by mail to 201A3430 Brighton Ave., Burnaby, B.C., V5A 3H4. For more news on the city's school district, see www.royalcity record.com. Follow Niki online at www.twitter.com/ nikimhope.
