All students deserve the opportunity to practice using their social skills in safe, risk-free settings. Understanding appropriate social skills and how to use them takes direct instruction, discussion, and multiple opportunities for behavioral rehearsal. Using our base teaching of C.A.R.E.S. skills and S.T.A.R. power strategies, our Student Development Services help students learn to manage feelings, make responsible choices about their behavior, and handle conflict while still being respectful to themselves, others, and the community.
Engaging multi-media presentations address students in a realistic and safe way about their power to stand up for themselves and others. Created for upper-elementary through high school students, Upstander Assemblies empower students to improve the culture and climate of their school and community. Presentations can be done for up to 200 students at a time, or with classroom-sized groups.
Based on our Peaceful People social skill curriculum, assemblies can be tailored to specific topics based on the needs of students in grades K-5. All presentations include follow-up materials to support the content.
Small-group work with students yields big results! Student Leadership Groups set the tone for the culture and climate of a school. Positive peer-pressure is powerful! Trained facilitators work with students to develop common language, conflict management, and communication skills. This empowers student leaders to launch or enhance school-wide projects to help others be peaceful people.
Peaceful People can change the world! A Peaceful Schools employee can be assigned to your school site 3-5 days a week to teach the Peaceful People social skill curriculum, meet with students one-on-one or in small groups to work through conflict, and provide building-wide SEL supports.
The Upstander Assembly Series is being presented throughout Central and Western New York to thousands of students in grades 5-9. Through discussion, videos and storytelling, the presenter connects real-life situations to the skills needed to be an Upstander face-to-face and online.
This year we began a multi-year series of Upstander Assemblies in partnership with Best Self Behavioral Health in Buffalo, NY. Students in grades 5-9 across 4 schools are receiving 3 presentations each and the feedback from students and staff has been overwhelmingly positive. Administrators have requested posters and copies of the Upstander language to implement into school-wide practices. Engagement and participation during assemblies is near 100% because students feel heard and understood. Presenters use storytelling, humor and a multi-media approach to teach students how to stand up for themselves and others.
“You really get me!” – 4th Grader, Syracuse, NY
“This language is exactly what our building needs.” – K-8 Principal, Buffalo, NY
“Every time we see the presenter she gives us real-life tips we can actually use” – Middle School Principal, Syracuse, NY to 6-8th graders before assembly
