STRIVE Project - Students & Teachers Receiving Information for Violence Elimination

STRIVE Abstract

New Bethlehem Community Center (NBCC) and the community partners that will be involved in the Students & Teachers Receiving Information for Violence Elimination (STRIVE) project are committed to encouraging students to “STRIVE” for violence prevention in schools and their surrounding communities throughout Burke and Richmond County in the State of Georgia.  Burke and Richmond County experience significant levels of violence that spills over into the schools attended by the children and youth being educated there.  In Burke, the rate of suspensions for this county is 22% for middle schools and 9.6% for high schools.  Of that rate, 84% of middle school and 56% of high school students were suspended due to harm to person.  In Richmond, the rate of suspensions for this county is 13.4% for middle schools and 11.2% for high schools.  Of that rate, 72% of middle school and 43% of high school students were suspended due to harm to person.  The specific program objectives that will be implemented towards achieving project success will include:

Objective 1) To provide evidence-based violence prevention training for at least 300 middle and high school students during project year 1, and 450 each during years 2 and 3, for a total of at least 1,200 students over the life of the program, as assessed by a review of training attendance records.

Objective 2) To provide evidence-based violence prevention via mental health awareness training for at least 30 teachers each project year, for a total of at least 90 teachers over the life of the program, as assessed by a review of training attendance records.

Objective 3) To recruit, train or maintain at least 4 students as peer educators each project year to work within the schools and the community to reinforce and further disseminate the message of violence prevention each project year, as assessed by a review of peer educator training records.

Objective 4) To have all trained teachers and other adults in mental health awareness work through the schools to make referrals to mental health providers, as assessed via a quarterly review of the files of all staff and partners providing Youth Mental Health First Aid Training.