Safe@School is a provincial project launched in 2007 led by the Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF) and the Centre ontarien de prévention des agressions (COPA). The project is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Education. As we are all aware, real change requires a concerted, long-term multi-pronged approach. Those who work with and provide care for students are more likely to be successful in creating and sustaining a respectful, safe, and healthy environment for students in a visionary and collaborative environment.

The goal of the Safe@School project is to foster just such innovation and cooperation, highlighting best practices that feature COPA’s unique and constructive approach to violence prevention and the creation of safe, strong and free schools and communities.

All components of the Safe@School project are also available in French. Visit: www.bienetrealecole.ca.

For more information about how to access training or consultation, please contact COPA. For further information about the Safe@School project, please contact OTF.

Website

The Safe@School website offers teachers and the educational community a repertoire of relevant resources, as well as two different Professional Learning Modules.

These interactive modules were developed using current information about the latest research on, and best practices for creating healthy and safe school environments, based on COPA’s unique and inspirational approach to prevention education.

Two sets of resources and Professional Learning Modules are available on the website:

• Bullying Prevention
• Equity and Inclusive Education (focus on homophobia, racism and sexism)

The website is also available in French: www.bienetrealecole.ca.

Teacher Training

Safe@School provides a number of strategies for teachers to acquire knowledge and skills – through our Professional Learning Training Modules, our videos: Taking Bullying Seriously and Hear Me Out, our hands-on workshops, called The Power to Change and Allies in Action, and our unique Professional Learning Community (PLC).

Power to Change - workshop for teachers and school staff

Building knowledge, Building skills, Building confidence

The issue of bullying has become a major concern in the education sector. Teachers are expected to intervene effectively, to prevent and respond to the many types of bullying behaviours during the school day.

Many teachers are concerned about the best way to address the problem, and would like more information to understand the issue, and practical strategies and tools to help guide them.

About the Workshops

• Power to Change is a 1-day workshop for teachers and school staff offered by COPA.
• The program has been offered (in English and in French) around the province since the 2007.
• The workshop has been uniformly rated very highly by participants.

Information Sharing

Participants explore the issue of bullying at school, including the scope and impact of the problem. Participants learn more about distinguishing between daily conflict and bullying, and appropriate strategies for intervention.

Practical Skill-building

In The Power to Change, participants also have an opportunity to learn more about and practice our unique approach to intervention with students and peers. They participate in guided exercises designed to enhance their ability to identify bullying situations and to respond constructively.

The Power to Change is designed to provide teachers with time to develop practical skills that can be applied in their daily work lives.

Participants share experiences and practical strategies in a format designed to enhance their capacity and confidence. This exchange is designed for immediate and positive application in the classroom, lunchroom and playground. Similar workshops have been and continue to be offered in French in partnership with OTF's Francophone Teachers’ Affiliate, l'Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO).

Contact us

To bring Power to Change to your school community, contact COPA.

Allies in Action - workshop for teachers and school staff

Equity issues (specifically, homophobia, racism and sexism) are now recognized as having a major impact on the safety and well-being of students and the whole school community.

Teachers are expected to intervene effectively, to prevent and respond to the many types of discriminatory gestures and comments that compromise student and teacher safety.

Many teachers are concerned about the best way to address these issues, and would like more information to understand the issue, and practical strategies and tools to help guide them.

About the Workshop

Allies in Action is a unique 1-day workshop for teachers offered by COPA. These workshops are being offered in different locations throughout the province during the 2009-10 school year.

Information Sharing

Workshop participants have an opportunity to explore equity issues at school, develop their understanding of these issues, their impact and develop their knowledge and vocabulary.

Practical Skill-building

During the workshop, participants also have an opportunity to learn more about and practice our unique approach to intervention with students and peers. They participate in guided exercises designed to enhance their ability to respond constructively and support others in doing so.

Allies in Action is a workshop designed to provide teachers with time to develop practical skills that can be applied in their daily work lives.

Participants share experiences and practical strategies in an engaging and experiential format designed to enhance their capacity and confidence. This exchange is designed for immediate and positive application in the classroom, lunchroom and playground.

Allies in Action was developed by COPA in collaboration with La Fédération de la jeunesse franco-ontarienne (FESFO), Ontario’s premier Francophone youth leadership agency and 519 Sherbourne in Toronto.

Similar workshops have been and continue to be offered in French in partnership with FESFO.

To bring Allies in Action to leaders in your school community, contact COPA.

Safe@School Professional Learning Community (PLC)

Equity and Inclusive Education

The Safe@School PLC is offered to expand teachers’ awareness of equity issues and inclusive education by working collaboratively to build expertise in these areas and to develop, share and perfect lesson plans or school-based projects, which they will then incorporate into their own professional practice.

Members involved in this unique learning opportunity

• participate in session, in person and on-line;
• read and comment on articles or discussion topics;
• engage in discussion with other members of the on-line Community about important issues of equity and inclusion; and
• create units of study for use in classrooms and schools.

Student Mentorship

Safe@School provides an opportunity for senior level students to develop their leadership skills regarding equity and inclusion.

ALLIES IN ACTION is a workshop offered as part of the Safe@School workshop in a number of locations in Ontario throughout the 2009-10 school year.

ALLIES IN ACTION

Building knowledge, Building skills, Building confidence

Equity issues (specifically, homophobia, racism and sexism) are now recognized as having a major impact on the safety and wellbeing of students and the whole school community. As part of the Safe@School initiative, COPA is offering the workshop Allies in Action, for student-leaders in senior levels.

Through participation in this workshop, students develop skills in helping identify and respond constructively to discriminatory gestures and comments that compromise the wellbeing of their peers. The course is designed to build the capacity of ‘allies’ who wish to exercise their courage and creativity in advocating for other students.

Information Sharing

Workshop participants have an opportunity to develop their leadership capacity by exploring equity issues at school, developing their understanding of these issues, their impact and developing their knowledge and vocabulary.

Practical Skill-building

During the Allies in Action workshop, participants also have an opportunity to learn more about and practice our unique approach to intervention with their peers. They participate in guided exercises designed to enhance their ability to respond constructively and support others in doing so.

Allies in Action for youth leaders is designed to provide participants with time to develop practical skills that can be applied in their daily lives.

Participants share experiences and practical strategies in an engaging and experiential format designed to enhance their capacity and confidence. This exchange is designed for immediate and positive application.

Allies in Action was developed by COPA in collaboration with FESFO, Ontario’s premier Francophone youth leadership agency and 519 Sherbourne in Toronto.

Similar workshops have been and continue to be offered in French in partnership with FESFO.

Please contact COPA if you are interested in bringing Allies in Action to leaders in your school community.

School-based Programs

The following prevention education programs are components of the Safe@School project:

• The Child Assault Prevention (CAP) Project (JK-6)
• Courage (7-8)
• Adults and Children Together (ACT) Program (JK-8)

COPA’s violence prevention education programs are designed to support all members of the school community, so that they are better able to identify and respond constructively to difficult and dangerous situations.

Student Workshops

Student workshops are engaging and interactive. A team of certified facilitators lead each classroom in guided discussion, using role play and exchange to help students learn how to problem-solve and develop constructive skills.

Review time following each workshop provides one-on-one time for students to ask questions, identify challenges and develop strategies in response.

Adult Workshops – School Staff

Information, practical strategies and tools are provided during professional development workshops. These sessions help guide participants to intervene effectively, to prevent and respond to the many types of bullying and other forms of aggression that affect the school community.

Adult Workshops – Parents and Guardians

These sessions emphasize parenting strategies that foster effective communication with children and strategies for collaboration with teachers and other school staff.

Organizational Committee

An essential component of the ACT Program, is the guided establishment of a school-wide committee designed to assess and enhance school policies and practices to create a safe, strong and free culture.

All programs are also available in French.

To bring one of these prevention education programs to your school community, contact COPA.

Educational Videos

As part of the Safe@School initiative, short educational films have been created to help sensitize and generate stronger commitment to creating safe, strong and free schools and communities in Ontario.

On bullying… Taking Bullying Seriously documents the short- and long-term impact of bullying on young people. Children’s viewpoints and adults memories of what it was like to be bullied and how it affects them now form the basis of this unscripted, moving testimonial to the importance of preventing bullying.

L’intimidation, c‘est du sérieux! is the title of the French-language film created for Safe@School.

On equity and inclusive education… Hear Me Out documents the short- and long-term impact of social inequity (particularly, racism, homophobia and sexism) when played out in the school milieu.

Older youth and adults with professional expertise share experiences and perspectives on the importance of fostering healthy and equitable learning environments.

A video with testimonials by Francophone youth and adults in Ontario has also been created called J’ai quelque chose à dire.

For a DVD copy of these films, please contact COPA.

Change Our World

Change Our World was to foster dialogue and listen to the stories, thoughts, opinions and suggestions of those who have experienced discrimination or bullying, or of those who work to create healthy, inclusive learning environments. Change Our World provides a number of thought-provoking tools (buttons, posters, and a youth-friendly website: www.changeourworld.ca) designed to stimulate reflection among students, teachers and educators in schools in Ontario, about the issues of equity, diversity and inclusion.

Change Our World also provides students from Grades 7-12 an opportunity to submit creative expressions of their experiences, thoughts and feelings about these issues, for posting on the Safe@School website.

Students, teachers, other educators and professionals in the field were also invited to be filmed talking about equity issues, for our new educational videos, Hear Me Out and J’ai quelque chose à dire.