Friendswood students participate in Safe School Ambassadors program

Friendswood High School and Junior High students are participating in a program called Safe School Ambassadors that aims to stop bullying and violence.

Safe School Ambassadors help to transform communities and empower youth in grades six through 12.

This marks the second consecutive year in which the program has been in operation. Counselors and teachers were instructed on how to conduct trainings with the students. All new high school students go through a one-day initial course. A one-day refresher course was offered for 80 high school students. Two days of initial training were held for sixth-grade SSA members. New members in seventh and eighth grade also attended an initial course. Older members in those grades participated in a refresher course.

Trainings took place in the Annex, which is the former junior high school. Rob Wise, Debbie Woodson, Tammy Pipkin, Allison Jasso, Becky Hamilton, Matt Blackwell and Jennifer Reed served as trainers.

The SSA program identifies and selects student leaders from diverse groups, forming them into a team. The ambassadors are trained in skills of nonviolent communication to stop bullying and violence.

The SSA program has been implemented in more than 1,000 schools in 32 states and two Canadian provinces. It is student-centered as students hear and know things adults may not and have the ability to intervene in ways that adults cannot.

According to the press release, career counselor Debbie Woodson stated, "We are excited about the training of our new ambassadors and the retraining refresher course for our ambassadors we have already trained. We are so thankful to our Friendswood ISD Education Foundation and the Mike Doiron Legends of Friendswood Golf Tournament for funding this program."