8:30 – 9:45 A.M. Thursday, July 20
Safe Schools: Utilizing Youth Development Strategies to address racism, gangs, violence and bullying.
One of the many goals of the presentation is for participants to develop a strong understanding of the impact group identity has on individual adolescent behavior, particularly with racism, gangs, violence, and bullying. Educators must understand the importance of developing programs that foster relationships among youth and developing a sense of belonging for youth to a group. Our youth are simply growing up in a violent culture that invests itself in a code of silence. As educators, we must counter this and develop a culture of communication, where students feel connected to one another and responsible for the outcomes of their campus culture.
Presenter: John Vandenburgh - Executive Director, PCE Solutions
Community Policing to Create Safer Schools
Digital communication and social media are a permanent fixture and influence in our students' world. This presentation will explore opportunities for partnerships between school resource officers, law enforcement agents and educators to teach students responsible use of social media and digital communication. Using case studies, the presenters will show how the schools activities program can be the vehicle used to not only present this important content to students, but also create a trust between the student body and law enforcement to positively change the culture from reactive to proactive. The user friendly presentation shows an effective approach in teaching responsible use of social media to students, parents and the community and includes a student produced "PSA" showing the power of "Pause Before you Post".
Presenters: Mitch Brouillette –School Resource Officer –Brentwood PD/Heritage High School and Jessica Banchieri & Title
Homegrown Violent Extremism (HVE)
The threat from terrorism touches every corner of the globe, and the United States is facing a troubling increase in homegrown violent extremism (HVE). Understanding the need for our communities to respond to the risk of HVE, the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy has initiated the Homegrown Violent Extremism Studies Program.
Extremism is a primary feature of terrorist behavior. Violent extremism occurs when individuals or groups openly express their ideological beliefs through violence or a call for violence. There is a distinct difference between “terrorist” and “extremist” organizations. So long as extremist groups do not explicitly endorse violence, their beliefs and ideology are protected under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Presenter: Juan Noguera –Program Manager –University of Southern California
Responding to Social Media Emergencies on your Campus
Social media is a major piece of students’ lives every day. Working in teams, groups will work to investigate and respond to social media issues that come up on your campus. Attendees will evaluate and respond to a social media issue taking into account current laws around personal devices, like cell phones, and work to resolve issues locally related to a social media incident.
Presenter: Matthew Soeth –#ICANHELP Co-Founder
Reducing Substance Use at School with Peer-to-Peer Restorative Accountability
Changes in law have normalized and reduced the perceived harm of marijuana. Youth are using “weed” much earlier and the increased potency has made the drug dangerous and additive; this confluence poses a perfect storm for youth dysfunction and educational failure.
In preparation for the impact legal recreational marijuana will have on student academic success the YMCA Marin County Youth Court has piloted successful evidence based environmental prevention intervention that uses restorative peer-to-peer accountability to increase the perceived harm of using marijuana at school.
The Novato Unified School District (NUSD) used this program with great success. The NUSD California Healthy Kids Survey reported a 25% reduction in the 11th grade 30 day use of both marijuana and alcohol by 25% between 2011 and 2013.
This workshop will provide participants with the information necessary to replicate this successful evidence based environmental prevention strategy.
Presenter: Don Carney –Director of Restorative Services –YMCA Youth Court
Breaking Down the Bullying Infrastructure in Schools
Conflict is almost certain whenever people from different backgrounds are placed in the same setting. This is particularly true for public programs that serve a diverse group of youth. However, when confronted with repetitive behaviors intended to harm, many adolescents do not have the skill set to combat bullying behaviors. In order to lessen the impact of bullying behaviors in public programs, interventions must target both the victims and the bullies. Youth who are targets of bullying should be taught the appropriate responses to bullying behavior. Youth who are labeled as bullies should be taught to use his/her natural leadership ability for pro-social change in schools and the elevation of peers. This session will address the social structure of bullying and action steps for professionals to follow when bullies and victims are identified.
Presenter: Dr. Eric Landers –Associate Professor –Georgia Southern University