This fall, some middle and high school students at S.S. Seward are being trained in the Safe School Ambassador program, which empowers students to help prevent and stop bullying and sustain a positive school culture.
The two-day interactive training gives students tools to resolve conflicts, defuse incidents, and connect with students who might feel isolated.
Supervisor of Pupil and Staff Support Services Jeanne-Marie Pavlik, school psychologist Christine Bermudez and school nurse Shelly Frommer attended a training in the 2022-2023 school year through the Orange County Youth Bureau and BOCES to learn about what the program entails and how to implement it in the school. “We have a few teachers who participate in the training and oversee and meet with the groups throughout the school year,” added Pavlik. This helps reinforce what they learned and gives them a space to discuss their experiences.
Middle school students who attended the training shared that on the first day, they did some book work during which they defined terms like exclusion and intimidation.
“On the second day, we took what we learned in the packet and put it into action in role play. Someone acted as the aggressor, target, ambassador, and bystander,” one shared, explaining that this gave an opportunity to practice the skills they discussed. “It’s a good program because it shows you how to help others and yourself when situations arise.”
Students also learned about how to help when they see bullying online, and what to look out for.
“I will apply these skills in the future,” one student shared. “It will be helpful to know how to better handle situations especially as we get older.”