The following is an article posted in local Minneapolis newspapers.
Ten Watertown-Mayer Middle School students recently traveled to the Minneapolis Convention Center to share their innovative bullying prevention initiative with school board members and administrators at the Minnesota School Board Association Conference. The students presented to a standing-room-only crowd.
The initiative, called “PACER’s Peer Advocacy Program,” is a collaborative effort of PACER Center and Watertown Mayer Middle School. Julie Hertzog, a Watertown parent of a student with a disability and the director of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center in Minneapolis, Minn., was concerned that her son might be vulnerable to bullying behavior. Because of that concern, she approached Connie Irvine, his middle school special education teacher, to discuss the issue.
Hertzog, along with Irvine, and Cris Leinendecker, Watertown-Mayer school psychologist, set out to design a creative solution. What resulted is being hailed as an innovative game changer for school districts looking to improve the climate of their schools, especially with regard to bullying. “The Peer Advocate Initiative is the first of its kind, and Watertown-Mayer Middle School has done a fantastic job of developing and piloting it.”, Hertzog said.
The premise of PACER’s Peer Advocate initiative is that the peers of children with disabilities become friends and advocates of these children. Students without disabilities are paired with students with disabilities, and receive training about the specific disabilities of their fellow students and how to advocate for them. These advocates spend time with Irvine and Leinedecker on a regular basis to discuss issues specific to their peer with disabilities and how to handle the issues. They also are anonymous reporters of bully behavior. The peer advocates plan fun activities specifically designed for their peer student, fostering friendships and relationships which normally would not be easily developed between typical children and those with disabilities.
“The overwhelming consensus is that everyone wins,” Irvine said. “What began as a way to ensure the safety of a vulnerable child in a school setting has grown into a program that builds character and compassion.” The program also gives students the skills to stand for themselves and others in the difficult situations, Leinendecker said.
The peer advocates report that this experience has changed the way they view those different than themselves, and has helped them to recognize everyone’s worth. “Some peer advocates have even admitted that they used to participate in bullying behavior, but because of this experience, they’ve stopped,” Irvine said.
The program has been well received by the student body, and Irvine has been approached by other students wanting to get involved and become peer advocates. “Much of the success of this program is due to the commitment of Ms. Irvine,” Hertzog said. “She is the organizer, teacher, day–to-day problem solver and heart of the program. Without her selfless effort, the vitality of the program would not be nearly as strong. “
Ten Watertown-Mayer Middle School students recently traveled to the Minneapolis Convention Center to share their innovative bullying prevention initiative with school board members and administrators at the Minnesota School Board Association Conference. The students presented to a standing-room-only crowd.
The initiative, called “PACER’s Peer Advocacy Program,” is a collaborative effort of PACER Center and Watertown Mayer Middle School. Julie Hertzog, a Watertown parent of a student with a disability and the director of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center in Minneapolis, Minn., was concerned that her son might be vulnerable to bullying behavior. Because of that concern, she approached Connie Irvine, his middle school special education teacher, to discuss the issue.
Hertzog, along with Irvine, and Cris Leinendecker, Watertown-Mayer school psychologist, set out to design a creative solution. What resulted is being hailed as an innovative game changer for school districts looking to improve the climate of their schools, especially with regard to bullying. “The Peer Advocate Initiative is the first of its kind, and Watertown-Mayer Middle School has done a fantastic job of developing and piloting it.”, Hertzog said.
The premise of PACER’s Peer Advocate initiative is that the peers of children with disabilities become friends and advocates of these children. Students without disabilities are paired with students with disabilities, and receive training about the specific disabilities of their fellow students and how to advocate for them. These advocates spend time with Irvine and Leinedecker on a regular basis to discuss issues specific to their peer with disabilities and how to handle the issues. They also are anonymous reporters of bully behavior. The peer advocates plan fun activities specifically designed for their peer student, fostering friendships and relationships which normally would not be easily developed between typical children and those with disabilities.
“The overwhelming consensus is that everyone wins,” Irvine said. “What began as a way to ensure the safety of a vulnerable child in a school setting has grown into a program that builds character and compassion.” The program also gives students the skills to stand for themselves and others in the difficult situations, Leinendecker said.
The peer advocates report that this experience has changed the way they view those different than themselves, and has helped them to recognize everyone’s worth. “Some peer advocates have even admitted that they used to participate in bullying behavior, but because of this experience, they’ve stopped,” Irvine said.
The program has been well received by the student body, and Irvine has been approached by other students wanting to get involved and become peer advocates. “Much of the success of this program is due to the commitment of Ms. Irvine,” Hertzog said. “She is the organizer, teacher, day–to-day problem solver and heart of the program. Without her selfless effort, the vitality of the program would not be nearly as strong. “
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