Working & learning together to prevent school drop out

March 3 & 4, 2009Toronto - Ontario

Spanish Speaking Education Network

Breaking it down, beyond gangs, groups &

cliques.

Who we are

• SSEN is a grass roots organization that

pursues the success of the Hispanic

Community, and especially the youth, in the

education system and its healthiest integration

in the Canadian Society

Our purpose

• SSEN represents the Spanish Speaking

Community’s interests within the education

system. Our purpose is to focus on the

promotion of equity, safe schools and academic

and social upgrading; as well as to work

towards a healthier social integration and

success of the Spanish Community in our

country.

Achievements› 1st Congress of Education in Spanish School

Desertion

› Family Tutorial Program – 2007 / 2008

› Beautification of Bloor Collegiate’s garden

› Ontario Corporation

› TDSB Community Liaison Group

› Training for SSEN Members

› 2nd Congress of Education in Spanish: Bullying

› 3rd Congress of Education: School Culture

› Family Tutorial Program – 2008 / 2009

› TOWARDS THE 4th CONGRESS OF EDUCATION

Ways to achieve our Objectives• Information

• Training

• Counseling

• Mentoring

• Continuous monitoring of the needs of our attendees

1st Congress of Education 2006

• Dr. Robert Brown’s research report presented to the TDSB in 2004 reveled a 35% rate of school dropout among the Hispanic students

• In light of those results, a group of parents, teachers, community leaders and social workers gathered to address the problem

• The organization of the First Congress of education, themes School Desertion, was the immediate response to that critical situation

• After that, bullying and violence at schools were brought in as one of the major causes of dropping out

1st Congress of Education 2006

SSEN’s approach to violence through Education

• We conceive Education as a tool to prevent violence and exclusion.

Our work in Violence Prevention• SSEN, has initiated a decisive work to prevent violence

increase amongst Hispanic youth. Our first step was the Second Congress of Education, whose theme was Bullying. There, Mr. Stephen Wessler, from Main University, and Detective Victor Castro, from Hillsboro Police Department, played a crucial role in raising awareness of the potentially dangerous situations Hispanics students –likewise students from other ethnical, low-income communities- are exposed to inside schools and on the street. Participants attending the Second Congress of Education, carried out by SSEN, were shocked by listening to the very descriptions students made about situations they live on daily basis at schools.

2nd Congress of Education 2007

3rd Congress of Education 2008

• The main subjects of the third of Congress education was Inclusion Safety, Equity and gang awareness.

3rd Congress of Education 2008

Our Community Mobilization

Working with Students

…Working with Students

SSEN working with Parents

We Dare to Learn Together

• Building network with the Canadian Society.

• Promoting active participation of the families and students success.

School of Parents

• School of parents addresses the needs of the families through workshops to empower parental participation.

Working together we ensure family success

• Education systemic perspective

The Power of Listening

• When we listen to our youth they become part of the decision making.

Our work in violence Prevention› The Second Congress of Education’s findings led us to

continue to work towards violence prevention.

› Violence is a pervasive phenomenon, which may be very

common among Hispanic families, and can dangerously be

a pattern to follow and recreate by next generations. The

delivery of this comprehensive program will provide

Hispanic families with important, useful information to

smoothly settle down and fully, safely integrate to the

Canadian society. This program will offer, for instance,

viable alternatives to be involved in activities after school;

will offer parents the necessary tips to detect whether or not

their teenagers are engaged in some delinquent activities.

Our work in violence Prevention› SSEN strongly believes it is important to defeat

some paradigms, to break some stereotypes and

to change some beliefs that reign within our

community regarding the Police. Police is a part of

the community, and therefore we all have to work

together in order to achieve the goal of preventing

violence.

› The Spanish Speaking Education Network

(SSEN) is proposing a comprehensive violence

prevention education program that includes

not only youth but also their families.

Our beliefs

› Violence is primarily considered to be a learned

behaviour

› The basic premises of violence prevention

programming is that if violence is learned, it can

be unlearned and individuals can choose non-

violent alternatives

› Violence prevention must be part of the school

culture as a component of the curricula and

address all forms of violence

Building Peace Together for Healthier Communities

Educational Preventive Program oriented to Spanish youth between 11 to 24 years old

(at risk of joining gangs)

Toronto. On.

Pilot Project

Objectives

› Provide Spanish youth with the knowledge, skills and support needed to resist joining gangs.

› Identify the individual, family, school and community risks and conducive factors associated with youth violence

› Develop prevention strategies such as individual/family counseling, mentoring, problem solving and conflict resolutions building skills, socialization/peer mediation, communication, labour and recreational opportunities to promote changes in beliefs and behaviors associate to violence.

› Maintain inter-institutional coordination with the purpose of referring youth according to their needs and situation.

Justification

› Violence rates have increased significantly among youth (AI estimates that 65% of violent deaths in the world occur among persons between 11 and 24 years old)

› A timely response to avoid violence spreading in schools demands an urgent and immediate action

› Youth are involved in violence as perpetrators, as victims or witnesses. Violence is a generalized issue

› SSEN shares the notion that while providing young people with appropriate skills, healthy lifestyle models and mentorship it is possible to keep them from joining gangs or activities associated to violence or crime.

Long Term Goals

› By delivering this comprehensive program SSEN will provide Hispanic families with important, useful information to smoothly settle down and fully, safely integrate to the Canadian society.

› This program will offer, for instance, viable alternatives to be involved in activities after school; will offer parents the necessary tips to detect whether or not their teenagers are engaged in some delinquent activities

Long Term Goals

› To carry out a pilot project with and for youth

between 11 to 24 years old in risk of joining

gangs

› To facilitate a multi-disciplinary approach to

intervention on evidence-based good practices

for addressing violence and gang-related issues

from a Canadian perspective.

Prevention strategies against Violence

Community &Schools

Sociocognitive

(8 workshops for students)

MentorshipProgram

(RoleModels)

Family(Workshops

forParents)

Assessment & Trainnig

1. PRIOR ASSESSMENT

2. Leadership & Community Services.3. Policies and Codes of Behavior / Infractions &

Contraventions4. Healthier Life Style: Drugs, Sexuality, Personal

Care.5. Domestic Violence: Perpetrators, Victims &

Witnesses6. Gangs and Operational Ways7. Problem Solving & Conflict Resolution8. Peer pressure & Decision making9. Citizenship, Rights & Responsibilities

10. FINAL ASSESSMENT, EVALUATION AND

RESULTS

Characteristic Pilot Project (estimated)

› Population: 240 (80 p/year) youth between 11 to 24 years old.

› Duration: 3 years

› Methodology:

Prevention & Intervention

Technical: Information

Training

Counseling

Mentoring

Researching

Active Participation between counsellors, advocates and beneficiaries

TESTIMONIALS