Durriyyah Kemp of the University Illinois Extension in Cook County discussed bullying and why people bully when she met with students during the PEACE Summit at Forest Trail. (PHOTO SUPPLIED)
Pre-teens and early teens are confronted by challenges every day that could adversely affect their success in school. To equip young people with the skills they need to meet these challenges, Forest Trail School conducts its annual PEACE (Promoting Education And Accountability For A Calm Environment) Summit.
The PEACE Summit allows students to register for at least three sessions. During the recent second annual PEACE Summit, presenters included representatives from the National Runaway Prevention, Cook County Sheriff’s Police, South Suburban Council on Alcohol and Drugs, Loyola University’s Psychology Department, U. S. Army, Crisis Center of South Suburbia, Aunt Martha’s, the Park Forest Police and Fire Departments, law firms, University of Illinois Extension, and Horizon Hospice to name a few.
Durriyyah Kemp, a social and emotional learning education for the University of Illinois Extension in Cook County, addressed bullying with the students and thought the Summit was a beneficial offering.
“Considering the rise in bullying among middle school students, the Summit goes a long way in bringing issues to the forefront and allowing students to engage in a discussion,” related Ms. Kemp. “I discussed bullying prevention with the students and stressed the importance of the bystanders and those who are aware of bullying to speak up about it.”
The Summit was designed and developed by The Peacemakers Team, which includes students, administrators, teachers, and support staff. Joan Crusor, Forest Trail social worker who helped plan this year’s Summit with fellow social worker Mary Ellen Lufrano, said, “We partner with Dr. David Shriberg and his research students from Loyola University throughout the process of designing the Summit. This partnership adds a great deal of importance to our work as we plan the Summit from a data driven perspective. The collaboration affords us the opportunity to enhance students’ experience by selecting seminars that are not only informative but also address a wider scope of students’ social-emotional needs as it relates to bullying.”
Ms. Crusor said she believes that it is vitally important that Forest Trail continue the Summit. “It gives our students a non-traditional format to garner a vast array of information that leads to peace in their lives and within the school environment. Peaceful schools lead to peaceful communities,” she said.
Ms. Lufrano said, “The PEACE Summit is an important program because it provides our seventh and eighth grade students with valuable information regarding social responsibility, cybersafety, healthy peer relationships, developing community awareness and improving self-esteem.”
The Peacemakers Team received great feedback from the students and presenters and plan to hold the third PEACE Summit during the first semester of the next school year.
