Strategies that Promote Collaboration

Hold conversations among parents, educators, and community members regarding fundamental beliefs to which all can agree about what constitutes a safe, caring, and responsive environment. This effort will help children and adults to establish a common vocabulary. An effective way to begin this dialogue is to assess and understand what currently exists and what each group would like to see in the future. This can be done informally or with a more formal needs assessment or School Climate Survey.
Draft a list or statement of consensus regarding the essential rights and freedoms to which each child in your community should be entitled.
Consider behaviors of both children and adults that interfere with the vision of the climate you hope to maintain at home and at school. As a community, discuss why you feel those behaviors are present and develop strategies to address the behaviors.
As you frame these conversations, be certain to include all key players in the world of the children: parents, teachers, youth services personnel, local health care professionals, coaches, recreation workers, and children themselves.
Once this group has reached consensus, members can then act as key communicators within the larger community, getting the word out and soliciting feedback in refinement of community terminology, definitions, and goals.

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