Safe School Ambassadors

What is the Safe School Ambassador Program?

The Safe School Ambassadors (SSA) Program is at Discovery Elementary. It is a proven anti-bullying and violence-prevention program focused on social norms change. Ambassadors are trained in the skills of non-violent communication to stop bullying, cyberbullying and harassment.

How the Safe School Ambassadors Program empowers youth: Few schools have fully engaged, equipped and empowered their students as peacemakers to improve school climate. As a result, students believe that they have only two options: To be a bystander and condone the hurtful acts they see, or To “tell” on their peers. The Safe School Ambassadors Program provides students a third option: to be an “upstander” - giving them the motivation, support and intervention skills to prevent and stop bullying and harassment. Since 2000, the Safe School Ambassadors Program has been implemented in over 1,500 schools, training over 70,000 students and over 10,000 adults in 38 US states, Puerto Rico, Guam and Canada.

Students see, hear and know things adults don’t. Students can intervene in ways adults can’t. Students are often the first to arrive on the scene of an incident before adults even know about it. Students determine the social norms - what’s OK and what’s not - while adults set the rules, policies and consequences

Impact of the SSA Program: Reduces bullying and cyberbullying, Increases student reporting to adults, Reduces suspensions and expulsions, Improves school climate."

Source: http://community-matters.org/programs-and-services/safe-school-ambassadors

Who facilitates the SSA Program?

Leena Smithson (school social worker), Danielle Hagele (3rd grade teacher), Sarah Johnson (3rd grade teacher), and Amanda Keeton (4th grade teacher)