ENCOURAGE posi.ve peer influences within the school and community through violence preven.on efforts

Transcription

1 The National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere is a nonprofit aiming to provide safer environments for our youth. Its mission is to decrease the potential for violence in our schools and communities by promoting meaningful student involvement, education and service opportunities. SAVE s Vision: Schools and communi.es will be safer and more secure, free of fear and conducive to learning as a result of students being ac.vely involved in meaningful violence preven.on efforts. How It Got Started: SAVE was started by students in Charlo@e, North Carolina in 1989 aeer the tragic death of a classmate who was trying to break up a fight at an off- campus party. A group of students who did not want this death to be just another sta.s.c took ac.on and created a violence preven.on program. Chapters: SAVE has evolved into an interna.onal associa.on with chapters in elementary, middle and high schools as well as at colleges and community organiza.ons across the country and worldwide. Today, there are more than 235,000 students involved na.onwide. AcBviBes: Student members take the lead in planning chapter ac.vi.es by using the three SAVE Essen.al Elements: conduc.ng crime prevenbon ac.vi.es, conduc.ng conflict management ac.vi.es and providing meaningful service through projects in schools and communi.es. SAVE chapters also plan safety rallies and awareness campaigns, engage in peer mentoring to younger students and conduct fun and educa.onal mee.ngs. The Goals of All SAVE Chapters Are To: ENGAGE students in meaningful violence preven.on efforts within their school and community ENCOURAGE posi.ve peer influences within the school and community through violence preven.on efforts EMPOWER youth with knowledge and skills necessary to provide service to their community and school EDUCATE students on the effects and consequences of violence as well as safe ac.vi.es for students, parents and the community

2 Meet the ExecuBve Director, Carleen Wray Wray was drawn to her current posi.on leading SAVE throughout the country because of her desire to ensure that youth are safe in their schools and communi.es. Her previous work in the juvenile jus.ce field exposed her to the fact that youth today are in need of assistance to ensure that their schools are free of crime and conducive to learning and their communi.es are safe. Prior to becoming execu.ve director, Wray served as the assistant director of SAVE from 2001 to Wray has spoken at many conferences across the country and has conducted numerous youth safety implementa.on workshops. She is viewed as a na.onal expert on youth violence preven.on and has been interviewed by numerous local, state, na.onal and interna.onal media NaBonal SAVE Events and Observances NaBonal SAVE Youth Summit (March 12) will be held in Raleigh, North Carolina and join SAVE par.cipants, students, teachers, law enforcement, counselors and parents together in the fight to stop shoo.ngs, bullying and other violence in our schools. The Summit will showcase successful prac.ces in preven.ng violence and train par.cipants in effec.ve ways to make their schools and communi.es safer through mo.va.ng workshops, peer- to- peer presenta.ons and na.onally acclaimed speakers. The theme for this year s Summit comes from Lao Tzu s quote, A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and youth- led sessions will include topics, such as Community Ac.vism: Finding Community Support And Funding For Teen Programs; Collabora.on For A Cause; Bullying and LGBTQ; and more. NaBonal Youth Violence PrevenBon Week (April 4-8) is a weeklong na.onal ini.a.ve to raise awareness and educate youth and adults everywhere on effec.ve ways to prevent and reduce youth violence. SAVE is a founding partner of the week that will include ac.vi.es that demonstrate the posi.ve role young people can have in making schools safer. SAVE has partnered with the following organiza.ons to sponsor daily ac.vi.es: Teaching Tolerance, American School Counselor Associa.on, Gay Lesbian & Straight Educa.on Network, School Safety Advocacy Council and Youth Service America. Teen Safe Driving Month (May) will focus on keeping youth safe on the road. SAVE and The Allstate Founda.on have partnered to use this month to host teen safe driving ac.vism projects and events.

3 Allstate Youth Empowerment and Teen Safe Driving Grants SAVE received a generous grant from The Allstate Founda.on to aid local chapters at schools in North Carolina to empower youth in safety and violence preven.on ac.vi.es, and in Mississippi to promote teen safe driving ini.a.ves during the school year. As part of the grant, each of the chapters will receive free SAVE affilia.on and mini grant funds, educa.onal materials, training for school and community ac.vi.es, ongoing support and technical assistance and opportuni.es to partner with local Allstate agents to further the cause. SAVE student members at par.cipa.ng chapters will take the lead planning and execu.ng safety and teen safe driving campaigns aimed to empower and engage youth to make their schools and communi.es safer for everyone. Through these efforts, hundreds of students will be educated and directly engaged in SAVE chapter ac.vi.es, while thousands will hear safety messages and be involved in ac.vi.es led by their peers. Par.cipa.ng chapters include: North Carolina Bunn High School Chapel Hill High School Concord Performance Learning Center High School East Chapel Hill High School Fairmont High School Garner Magnet High School Harding University High School Highland School of Technology Hunters Creek Elementary School Hunters Creek Middle School Jack Bri@ High School Laney High School Lumberton High School Parkwood High School Pinecrest High School Purnell- Swe@ High School Swansboro High School Vernon Malone College and Career Academy West Clayton Elementary School White Oak High School Mississippi Biloxi High School Callaway High School Clarksdale High School Columbia High School D lberville High School Hancock County High School Hakesburg High School John W. Provine High School Ocean Springs High School Port Gibson Middle School Port Gibson High School South Pike High School St. Patrick Catholic High School Tupelo Middle School Vicksburg High School

4 Youth Advisory Board The Na.onal Youth Advisory Board consists of high school SAVE members from across the country. As a student- led organiza.on, Board members contribute more than 300 hours annually planning the year s events, crea.ng brochures and wri.ng lesson plans. And, each of them has their own unique story. Haley Abernathy Highland School of Technology; Gastonia, North Carolina All the responsibili/es of high school can be very stressful, but through SAVE, I am always able to meet new people and help the community. This makes the responsibili/es of life seem microscopic. Margaret Adams Chapel Hill High School; Chapel Hill, North Carolina I know SAVE is a very well known club, but I hope to make it even beger known. I hope to save students and youth across the na/on from dangerous situa/ons. Gabrielle Allen- Destroismaisons E.A. Laney High School; Wilmington, North Carolina I think that empowering our na/on s youth is the best solu/on to prevent future violence and create a genera/on of empathe/c, understanding, problem- solvers through SAVE. Mamie Frank White Oak High School; Jacksonville, North Carolina It is quite rewarding to experience the bond between students and witness their growth. As a SAVE Youth Advisory Board member, I wish to achieve more unity among chapters na/onwide. Jordan German OpBmism PrevenBve Services; Georgetown, South Carolina As a SAVE Youth Advisory Board member the first thing I want to do is bring about more community awareness so that people see the impact SAVE has and how working together can make a difference, decrease violence and promote posi/ve change.

5 Youth Advisory Board ConBnued Rose Le Biloxi High School; Biloxi, Mississippi As the op/mis/c person that I am, I want to help SAVE and the Youth Advisory Board by sharing my perspec/ve with as many people as I can. I believe that a posi/ve mindset gives a person the confidence to accomplish wonderful things. Sarah Spradlin Scurry County SAVE; Ira, Texas I want to deepen people s knowledge on bullying and how it is affec/ng the teens of America. I hope one day that SAVE s message will be heard and might save the lives of hur/ng teens everywhere. Jenny Suwanmanee East Chapel Hill High School; Chapel Hill, North Carolina As a SAVE Youth Advisory Board member, I hope to accomplish my goal of preven/ng the spread of violence, educa/ng others on the importance of violence preven/on and helping those in need if they ever end up in a situa/on involving violence. Larissa Wilson Scurry County SAVE; Ira, Texas My hope is to change the lives of others, I will speak out to them about their struggles and hopefully lead them in the right direc/on through SAVE! Kaleigh Wright Cuthbertson High School; Waxhaw, North Carolina If we all work hard towards making a difference through SAVE, even if it is a small one at first, then we can help prevent bullying and help so many people. For more informabon on SAVE, details on starbng a chapter or to learn how to get involved, visit