Community Activities that Enhance the Environment for Children
Train all coaches within the community - scholastic and recreational - in positive, anti-bulling coaching techniques.
Educate and train all members of the community (children, school personnel and parents) about the bully-victim-by-stander cycle and ways to eradicate by-stander behavior.
Organize a network of mental health care professionals to offer services to children in the community identified as at risk.
Develop neighborhood parent networks for the purpose of establishing support systems for children during the day when many parents may not be at home.
Develop a community mentoring program to engage middle and high school students in meaningful activities with adult members of the community.
Encourage children to talk about their feelings at every opportunity. At home, this may take the form of a nightly dinner table conversation; at school, consider daily morning meetings organized around common themes.
Ask children to review the community belief statements and begin composing similar statements for their homes, classrooms, and their schools. Ask children to give concrete examples that demonstrate the qualities and beliefs they value.
Encourage students to participate in conversations about basic human needs (i.e., safety, belonging, fun, power, freedom) and to consider what people do to meet those needs. Next, ask students if they can think of times when those activities can interfere with the needs of others.
Develop an Adopt a Classroom program for middle school students to work with elementary school classes. Initial activities could include a book discussion group focused on issues related to topics such as individual differences.
Hold focus groups of middle school students and ask them what community issues are on their mind and give them an opportunity take positive action. For example, if bullying, a common phenomenon with students this age, is an issue, help students develop an Anti Bullying Committee to address the issue.
At school, develop an advisor-advisee/mentoring program to assure that each child has at least one personal and meaningful connection with an adult.
With older students, hold student forums and ask teenagers to share the stories of when they have felt most connected and most disconnected from their community.
Develop a mentor program for older students to work with younger students.
Empower students to take action on matters of importance to them through community service and/or service learning.
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