Recommendations

Overall Recommendations

The Anti-Hate Project with its Youth Participatory Evaluation work provided a mixed methods approach to gathering insights and the experiences of identity-based harm from students. Throughout the project, we recognized various levels of harm being done at school to students and how it may look differently for all. Students mentioned how harm is done in different ways:

• Slurs

• Name-calling

• Microaggressions

• Gestures

• Fights (physical)

• Online social media posts

• Acts of favoritism

• And so many more...

Each section of the evaluation provided different recommendations, but throughout the project, there were some overall themes of addressing identity-based harm at Park Center and Osseo Senior High Schools.

Awareness

Students were unaware of the OASD Identity-Based Harm Response Protocol or they were unaware of efforts to reduce identity-based harm within the schools. Most students are aware of the STOP IT app, although many expressed they don't hear about it often and they have never used the app. There were also little mentions of identity-based harm information in general and how it may differ from bullying or fighting at school (awareness on the differences). Students want a larger role in providing feedback on the school environment and protocols or policies in place.

Feedback

Tied to the previous statement on providing feedback on various topics at school, students also expressed wanting to provide feedback on school spaces and teachers or adults at the schools. The need for anonymity is important to provide a safe and inviting space for such feedback. This could be in the form of teacher evaluations and general feedback on rules or school spaces. The encouragement of positive and negative feedback would help to promote areas to celebrate and areas of improvement. This was seen in the Photovoice and Surveys where specific teachers and school spaces were identified as safe and protective spaces students appreciated - How do we celebrate and highlight this? 

Online

In numerous instances, students identified online harm and bullying. Social media is recognized as a pillar in youth's lives today. Student identified how social media provides a platform for youth to express themselves, but in identity-based harm, it can be used as a tool to spread hate. As schools are not inherently involved in their student's online usage, it must be recognized how use of online platforms can spread harm or hate at school. Students identified how harm being done online towards other students affect the school environment and their learning. It is also imperative in addressing online use of identity-based harm within the school community as well as the impending school phone policies' views of this.

Adult vs. Student Roles

Students expressed the importance of having safe spaces and what that may look like. The need for a system where students feel safe to talk to an adult about a situation where they may want to (1) simply speak out loud and have adult listen, (2) be able to process with an adult, or (3) look to an adult for action or resolve. 

There were also mentions of the roles of adults and students at school. The power dynamics within schools shifts the role of responsibility to respond on adults within the space -- although it was also recognized how students want to feel empowered in reducing harm and promoting kindness. Importantly, students want adult figures at school to recognize any harm they may causing due to bias or inaction of incidences of harm. Further training was suggested for teachers and other adults at school for (1) awareness-building of identity-based harm, (2) how to respond to harm effectively (little and big incidences), (3) reduce bias and favoritism among student body, and (4) fair punishment for all. Students also acknowledge the role of parental figures of students and their role in reducing harm in schools - whether that is family culture or parent involvement in incidences of harm at school.

Promote Anti-Hate within Schools

Lastly, it is everyone's role to promote anti-hate within the school and community. The project highlighted where students see harm as well as safe and protective spaces. Students want to move forward in promoting a safe and welcoming environment within the school. Ultimately, they want school to be a place of FUN. Suggestions of ways to promote anti-hate include:

• Balance power dynamics at school - collaborate with students in every day school-life

  • More student-led opportunities (pep fest, afterschool events, lunch tabling)

  • Student-led announcements of celebrations (birthdays, holidays) and updates on school information (activity changes)

  • Music!

• Communication & marketing

  • Student advertised opportunities to promote their activities or clubs through social media and posters

  • Better student-to-student communication about activities and things happening at school