This month’s School Health Programs Department campaign focuses on creating safe schools so all students can learn and grow. Schools are encouraged to teach lessons on diversity, tolerance, conflict resolution, bullying violence and harassment prevention. Students participate in violence prevention activities including poster contests and remembrance walls. Schools should emphasize the District’s Anti-Slur and Sexual Harassment policies.
Find more information in the January Health Awareness Month "Weekly Administrative Directive" (pdf)
EMPOWERMENT
Asset #7-Community Values Youth
Asset #8-Youth as Resources
Asset #9-Service to Others
Asset #10-Safety
Asset #36-Peaceful Conflict Resolution
Young person feels safe at home, at school and connected to their neighborhood. Schools can provide students with community service opportunities, conflict resolution skills, communication skills, negotiation skills and access to community resources.
Asset Building
Activities
Asset #7- Foster a community that values youth by creating “Props” boxes within school office/classroom for students to acknowledge peers’ contributions. Props can be displayed on school bulletin board.
Asset #9- Work with students to plan “Day of Kindness” activities throughout the school year to promote positive school climate and service to others.
Asset #36- Organize peer discussion groups on violence and violence-prevention related issues. Put aside time to talk about these issues in homeroom or health classes on a regular basis. Provide conflict resolution skills to educate all students in how to resolve conflicts.
Assets #8, #36- Have students help organize a non-violence poetry book or poetry slam. Work from this project can be turned into an assembly for all students.
Asset #7, #8, #9- Create a Youth Advisory Board or invite student council members to participate in the School Climate Committee to include youth opinions as part of the decision-making and planning processes for improving school climate. Youth Advisory Boards provide the opportunity for youth to feel that their opinion is valued by adults and where their ideas are used to improve structures, activities, and environments for their peers.
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Other Youth Development Activities
to Implement Health Awareness:
Have students create personal history stories (Who I am, Where I come from, Where I’m going) and create a presentation or book for the school.
Middle School and High School: Coordinate with your school’s Sexual Minority Youth Liaison (SMYL) to promote the Ally Program by using materials made available by School Health Programs Department.
Middle School and High School: Encourage school members to commit to the “Ally Pledge” and outline how they will be a caring part of the community. Contact: Peer Resources (415) 920-5211
Have youth review movie clips and television clips and discuss how these clips can perpetuate violence. Work with youth to create a youth made movie or Public Service Announcement on the effects of violence. Contact: TILT for media education activities (415) 701-8458, Just THINK for media literacy and teen health activities (415) 561-2900
Middle School: Students can view the Let’s Get Real “Bullying” video and participate in corresponding lessons.
Mental Health Awareness
Visit the CDC Mental Health Work Group web site, which includes basic public health information on mental health.
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