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This case study of youth involvement in public decision-making is one of several done for Health Canada by the Canadian Association for School Health. To return to the beginning of Selected Case Studies of Youth Involvement in Public Decision-Making click here. The purpose of the School Climate Committee and it's main event, SafeSpeak Week, are to create a safe school environment and positive image for the school. It appears that the necessary resources are available for the stated purpose, as students and staff indicate that the school is a safer place and has a better reputation than in the past. Students worked with staff to initiate the School Climate Committee and there have always been students involved on the committee. One student on this committee made some suggestions for making the committee more youth- friendly. Both students and staff on the Committee would like to see more students involved. Gladstone Secondary School is in East Vancouver. School staff described the school as being very involved, with many opportunities for students to contribute to a positive school environment. This case study of youth participation in decision-making focuses on SafeSpeak Week, a week of activities promoting pro-social skills and non-violent conflict resolution among students and staff. SafeSpeak Week is a project of the School Climate Committee. Established after a drive-by shooting at the school in 1993, the committee was initiated jointly by students and staff to improve the school's reputation in the community and to address safety issues in the school. The committee has included teachers and students since its beginning. The 1998 Safespeak Week will be the school's second time organizing this event. Earlier in its history, the school climate committee tried a more comprehensive approach, integrating pro-social and conflict resolutions skills into curriculum at all levels. This proved to be difficult to sustain because of varying levels of skill and interest among teachers. In 1997, the committee planned the first Safespeak Week. In 1997, the week focused almost entirely on grade 8 students, with grade 10's playing a role in teaching pro-social and conflict resolution skills using drama to respond to issues raised by the grade eights. The School Climate Committee and Youth Participation in Decision-Making The name, School Climate Committee, gives insight into its approach to youth participation in decision-making. The atmosphere, or climate, of the school is affected by all the decisions made there. If a student decides to act in pro-social way or settle a conflict using words rather than violence, that student is affecting the school's climate. As members of the school community, the behaviour and decisions of teachers and staff affect the school's climate and the decisions students are likely to make. If a teacher decides to make time to listen to students concerns and ideas, students are more likely to decide to approach them. It could be said that the School Climate Committee's focus has been to influence the decisions of the school community in order to make the school a safer, more supportive place to be. It helps students and teachers gain knowledge and skills that support pro-social decisions. This view of youth participation in decision-making is very different from the limited approach of addressing issues through the participation of a few youth on a committee. This is about giv ing all youth in an organization the knowledge, skills and connections with others they need to make pro-social decisions. The many decisions made day to day ultimately have more impact on the learning environment of the school that the few decisions made by the School Climate Committee. The committee is there to have a positive effect on the many decisions made day to day by the members of the school community. The example of SafeSpeak Week 1998, shows how some specific roles have been identified for students to make decisions in leadership roles that support pro-social decisions of their peers. Student Participation in 1998 Safespeak Week In 1998, a strong focus on grade eight students was retained, but there were more activities involving other students and all teachers were encouraged to integrate teaching about violence, pro-social skills and conflict resolution into general curriculum for the week. Students played important roles in planning SafeSpeak Week, identifying issues to be addressed during the week and developing and delivering curriculum. All of these roles involved students in making decisions. Part of the success of the School Climate Committee is that events like SafeSpeak Week enable students to take on diverse leadership roles in efforts to teach pro-social and conflict resolution skills. By training all grade 8 students in conflict resolution during SafeSpeak Week, in a five-year cycle, all students at the school will have received this training. Involving students as trainers in these training sessions reinforces pro-social and conflict resolution skills in these peer helpers. A hard-hitting play written by a grade 12 student also helped to involve older students in SafeSpeak Week activities. A core group of dedicated staff, who volunteer their time for SafeSpeak Week, appears to be adequate for supporting student participation in School Climate Committee and SafeSpeak Week activities. A. Basic Descriptive Data The Activities Benefit from Two Health Ministry Programs The project is part of the BC Healthy School Program supported by the BC Ministry of Health. The Healthy Schools Program is designed to enable students to identify health issues that concern them and to act on those issues. As well, the BC Health Ministry funds Alcohol and Drug Prevention Workers in many schools. The ADP person in this school has actually supported the program. Youth involvement can influence the determinants of health. The program in Gladstone was initiated by the students after an incident of a drive by shooting and through the Healthy Schools program. The Expected Outcomes are Clear A safer school with more youth involvement are the goals of the program' Student Participation is Diverse Students involved in the School Climate Committee tended to be involved in other traditional school leadership activities including student council. The SafeSpeak Week activity presented other opportunities for participation to students who are unlikely to participate in activities such as the student council. Peer counsellors, who were the source of some of the student leadership activities, included a wider variety of the student population. The writing and performance of drama also attracted other students. Staff cited one example of a student involved in the dramatic activities of SafeSpeak Week who had overcome considerable personal challenges and who had experienced marginalization at school. The Youth Participation is Sustainable With many of the students being involved each year, the program is sustainable from the point of view of recruiting students easily. Attendees at the event often come back as volunteers for the next year. The Policy Framework for the Activities is Stable The activities have become part of the Healthy School and ADP programs sponsored by the BC Ministry of Health. As well, the School Climate Committee reflects an ongoing interest from the staff of the school in a safe healthy school. A Written Plan is Followed A project plan is developed by students in planning the event each year. B. The Levels of Involvement The collective youth participation on the School Climate Committee can be described as developmental, although there does not seem to be an organized approach to developing the skills of students involved on the committee. Other student participation in SafeSpeak Week is episodic. A variety of episodic leadership roles that involve decision-making are available to youth in preparing for and conducting SafeSpeak Week. Some of these episodic roles were repeated in 1998 following the first SafeSpeak Week in 1997. This balance between developmental and episodic involvement provides ongoing student input and leadership development as well as action-oriented leadership roles for students who might not be interested in committee work. This enables SafeSpeak Week to involve more of the student population and to have a greater impact than would be possible with only developmental involvement. Just as there is a balance between developmental and episodic involvement at the collective level, there is a balance of participation opportunities for individuals. The small group of youth involved on the School Climate Committee could be seen as core leaders helping affect the over-all shape of SafeSpeak Week. Others play a variety of time-limited leadership roles, while the majority of students involved are attendees of SafeSpeak Week events who receive training and/or information. All student leadership related to SafeSpeak Week is volunteer. C. Roles Assigned to Youth A Number of Specific Roles, Tasks are Assigned to Youth These varied roles include:
The above variety of roles enables students to be involved in SafeSpeak Week at a number of levels. Student-initiated projects were encouraged and supported by staff, while staff planned other roles for students. This variety helped increase student involvement. D. The Quality of the Process Basic Principles of Youth Participation are being Respected Because of the variety of opportunities for student participation created by SafeSpeak Week, there is no single process of student participation in decisions affecting the week. The activity of the School Climate Committee is the central process of the week's activities, but specific events during the week (training grade 8's in conflict resolution, the play written and performed by students, the raising of the peace pole, the production of buttons) each have their own processes involving students in decision-making. Each of these processes was different. The student member of the School Climate Committee made a few suggestions to make the committee more youth-friendly so that it would attract more students. He enjoyed his participation on the committee and found informal coaching from two staff members useful for playing his role. Input from students on the committee was solicited and respected in part by giving them the opportunity to express their ideas before staff. The activities of the School Climate Committee and SafeSpeak Week are more oriented toward action that policy. While a policy framework may exist that supports the activities of the School Climate Committee, those interviewed spoke about planning and conducting events rather than about affecting policy. A special meeting of the School Climate Committee held after SafeSpeak Week was, in part, an attempt to recruit more youth to participate in the committee. This meeting was also an opportunity for students to give feedback on the week. Evaluation of the training in conflict resolution training was also planned with randomly selected grade 8 classes. Some of the Barriers are being Addressed Youth apathy was overcome to some extent by offering fun, action-oriented leadership roles to youth and supporting youth-initiated activities. SafeSpeak Week also addressed the issue of safety, which was identified as important by students when they participated in creating the School Climate Committee. A survey on safety issues may be held next year to determine levels and priorities of student and staff interest related to the issue. Most of the activities and youth leadership roles related to SafeSpeak Week had short-term goals. The support of the school principal was seen by some staff as key to creating a supportive environment for student participation. One student involved in the School Climate Committee received informal support from two adult committee members when they all arrived early for meetings. The adult committee members helped him to prepare to express himself in the meetings. The same student suggested have the School Climate Committee meetings in a less intimidating location. They are currently held in the staff room or staff lounge. Youth leaders involved in SafeSpeak Week are drawn from various groups within the school population, which enhances the likelihood that students will find at least some of them credible. The variety of youth leaders is made possible in part by the variety of leadership roles. Enabling Factors are in Place There was informal coaching for one student on School Climate Committee. Staff trained students to participate in training of grade 8 classes, and a drama teacher was a mentor to the student who wrote a play performed during SafeSpeak Week. Students are encouraged to speak at School Climate Committee meetings by having the chance to express their ideas before staff. Issues of safety are addressed from a positive, prevention perspective. An example of flexibility was a drama teacher's openness to the play-writing initiative of a student and his suggestion that the play be performed during SafeSpeak Week. Current youth involvement in SafeSpeak Week was based on past student involvement in the activities of the School Climate Committee, including the first SafeSpeak Week that took place in 97. Trained peer counsellors were also recruited to participate in training of grade 8's in conflict resolution. The Developmental Needs of Youth The issue of safety was identified by students as well as staff as important. A few years ago, a survey was conducted to get staff and students views on safety issues. This survey might be repeated next year. There is an openness to having students bring forward other issues of importance, such as the issue of drug addiction addressed in a play during SafeSpeak Week. It was planned to recognize student and staff leaders of SafeSpeak Week at an assembly. A meeting of the School Climate Committee after the week was also planned to reflect on successes. The student who wrote and acted in a play said he got lots of positive feedback from other students and staff. No competencies are explicitly developed in students on the School Climate Committee, though there was informal and implicitly understood development of public speaking and planning skills. Students involved as co-trainers of grade 8's in conflict resolution got some training in role play and facilitation, and some gained experience in presenting information. The student who wrote the play got coaching in how to write a play. He and other actors were supported in improving their acting skills. Nothing is done to make the School Climate Committee fun, and one student suggested it could be more light-hearted sometimes. Staff indicated that more action oriented activities were fun for students because they had a clearer sense of accomplishment and used skills like acting. The training for grade 8's was made fun for the younger students in part through the use of role plays. Staff agree that while student participation in the School Climate Committee is important, more immediate, action-oriented roles are important for involving the wider school population. Creating and performing scenes and plays are relatively short-term projects that involve students in decisions that affect their peers. These roles are fun and active, with a minimum of meeting-style activities that many youth find boring. In at least one case, that of the peer counsellors who created and performed role plays in workshops with grade eight students, students worked with their staff trainer to define roles that were meaningful and comfortable for them. Youth Accountability Students involved in the School Climate Committee do not formally consult other youth. However, the committee has used a survey in the past to consult all students and staff on issues of safety. As an integrated committee of students and staff, the school climate committee is itself a venue for consulting with adults. The student who wrote the play on drug addiction said his teacher considered formally consulting with the principal on whether to proceed with the play but decided it was not necessary. The school climate committee had clearly stated goals, a plan of action and deadlines. Students involved shared these with staff members of the committee. No issue-oriented presentations are made by students on the School Climate Committee. Adults Support Student Participation A core group of dedicated staff at Gladstone have played a key role in creating opportunities for students to take the above leadership roles in SafeSpeak Week. These staff include, but are not limited to, a counsellor, drama teacher, drug and alcohol prevention worker and the school's principal. The counsellor facilitates the School Climate Committee and trains peer counsellors to play roles in workshops for grade eight students. The drama teacher creates opportunities for students to explore issues important to them through drama. The drug and alcohol prevention worker provides support to these activities, and the principal is key to creating and being a role model of openness to students' expressing their ideas. Students received various levels of training and emotional support from staff to help them play leadership roles during SafeSpeak Week. Student members of the School Climate Committee did not receive any support different from staff members of the committee, a group of motivated people guided by an experienced facilitator. Peer counsellors who created and acted out role plays in workshops with grade eights, received training in role playing and some emotional support to help them take on the challenge of their role. These students may have needed less training and emotional support than some other students playing leadership roles because of their past training and connections as peer counsellors. Other students received training in acting through drama class, and some were supported in writing dramatic scenes in English classes. Based on input from staff, the student who wrote the play performed during SafeSpeak Week had benefited from both training and meaningful interpersonal relationships with staff members. E. Evidence of Outcomes Referring to their experience and input from students, staff at Gladstone agree that the school is a safer place today than it was before the School Climate Committee began its activities. The School Climate Committee's work, which has involved the efforts of students and staff not actually on the committee, have changed the climate of the school and the way members of the school community relate to one another. There is less violence and more pro-social activity at the school. There is also a safer, more supportive climate for both students to raise issues of concern. This is true of both issues concerning the school community and personal issues. Following the first SafeSpeak Week, for example, referrals to school counsellors increased significantly as students felt more comfortable coming forward with personal issues. Staff see the improved climate and its effects on the many decisions made in the school community as positive for academic learning, the well-being of students and staff and the development of contributing citizens for the broader society. Staff also indicated that students playing leadership roles in events such as SafeSpeak Week have benefited by skill development, self-esteem and developing positive connections with others. The diversity of roles available to students made these benefits accessible to a variety of students, including some dealing with serious personal issues.
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