To create an environment in which students feel safe enough to learn, teams coordinate a range of school-based climate and safety services, with a goal of diffusing and preventing potentially violent situations and equipping students with tools to build a healthier, more supportive, and safer school environment.
Services include:
- Monitoring school opening and closing
- Organizing and supervising socialized recess activities (such as sports and fitness activities)
- Peer mediation and in-school suspension activities
- Promoting additional peer engagement and support between high-performing older school youth and their younger middle and elementary school counterparts; and
- Coordinating mentoring activities around issues such as: team building, self esteem, conflict management, mood management, communication, peer pressure, depression, decision-making, connecting with adults, and assuming responsibility for and shaping school climate.
Through expansion of EducationWorks’ Safe Corridors program, a team member at each school organizes parents and community volunteers to provide safe passage for youth coming to and leaving school. Teams work with schools to conduct school climate assessments and coordinate comprehensive intervention activities, including crisis intervention, peer mediation, and in-house suspension. Teams facilitate additional training and provide curriculum support to faculty and staff of each school to enhance their awareness and application of de-escalation techniques, and foster one-on-one mentoring opportunities, which have been shown to have a positive impact on at-risk youth.
Measures of Success
81% of students showed a positive behavioral change, partially or completely, as a result of participating in Safe Ways to Behave.
"The students express themselves better, have more interesting discussions and respect classroom supplies."
Teacher with students in Safe Ways to Behave
The overall climate in the classrooms of the 8th grade has changed for the better overall. While things are not perfect, the SW2B program certainly provided an outlet for students that worked.
Teacher with students in Safe Ways to Behave
“The EW team has run an effective socialized recess program, as measured by the decrease in bullying, fights, and injuries that occur during recess.”
Ms. Byrd, Gideon School principal
“We have a lot fewer injuries during recess now.”
Ms. Lori Dixon, Harrity School nurse
“The process is orderly and organized from beginning to end; the children re-enter the classroom in a much better frame of mind to return to their studies.”
Mr. Beal, Mitchell School teacher
