High Schoolers Take a Stand as Role Models for Young Upstanders
When looking for upstanders in the community, Bucks County high school students show leadership. They show that kindness goes hand in hand with leadership.
The Pennridge School District hosts an innovative anti-bullying program. High school students educate younger children on the importance of being upstanders. This initiative fosters a culture of respect and support among students of all ages.
“NOVA is a comprehensive crime victim agency. We help people who are victims of crime as well as affected loved ones who live in Bucks County,” said NOVA Prevention Coordinator, Katie Sanford.
“ENCOURAGE Upstanders is a peer education program where we oversee a group of high school peer educators who then become the program facilitators in grades one, three, five, and seven,” she continued.
This peer-led approach enables high school students to significantly influence younger students. Advice and encouragement from older peers resonate deeply.
High school senior and participant Michael Muiruri understands the significance of mentorship firsthand.
“I’m from Kenya, came here when I was about six years old…Coming from a country where I wasn’t allowed to have role models like they have here…Being part of one is awesome. I know the kids definitely look up to us in many different ways. We don’t even realize all the ways they do,” said Muiruri.
The NOVA program educates young students about bullying prevention. It also instills confidence and leadership skills in the high school mentors. By fostering positive relationships and promoting inclusivity, these students are creating a lasting impact in their community.
This message is echoed in the story of Annabell Lambert, who in fourth grade saw bullying firsthand.
Annabell Lambert was in fourth grade. She walked into a school bathroom and saw four students. They had locked a girl in a stall and were throwing wet toilet paper at her. Annabell, who was attending a Philadelphia school, yelled for them to stop then told a teacher, who intervened.
When Annabell arrived home that day, she learned her mom got a call from the school’s guidance counselor. “I thought I was in trouble, but my mom was proud after learning I helped someone,” she said. “To this day, I tear up thinking about how that girl felt.”
More than a decade later, Lambert is now a junior at Pennridge High School. She realizes she was an “upstander” and still is. Annabell is part of an Upstanders group of 28 students at the high school. They visit younger students in elementary and middle schools in the district. Their goal is to discuss ways to promote positive behavior and prevent bullying. They also teach coping strategies if someone is a victim or, as in her case, a witness of bullying.
“If you see someone doing something wrong and you know it’s wrong, don’t just walk away,” said Annabell. “And if it escalates, that’s on you. We can’t encourage the bullying; we have to do what we can to stop it.”
At a recent ceremony, Pennridge High School assistant principal Dave Laboski honored the school’s first group of Upstander peer counselors. He thanked the 28 students for their positive influence. The Upstander program is sponsored, funded, and led by the Network of Victim Assistance, or NOVA. It works with both Council Rock School District and New Hope-Solebury to spread common messages.
Hearing advice from a high school student is much different than an adult, M.M. Seylar Elementary School teacher Lisa Amary said.
“When it comes from someone they look up to, like the big kids, the message becomes more powerful,” said Amary.
Junior Abby Nuneviller said she was moved. Many students looked up to her when she stood in front of a classroom. She felt the responsibility to guide them with honest and relatable advice.
“They light up when we come in, and we know we have their attention,” said Abby, who along with her peers tried to empower kids to be upstanders.
At some point, she said, most kids become a bystander — someone who witnesses bullying but doesn’t get involved. She tells them they can be an upstander. An upstander is a person who knows what’s happening is wrong. They do something to make things right. She said she knows “doing the right thing” can feel uncomfortable and that it takes courage to speak up on someone’s behalf.
“These kids also open up to us because they feel we can relate,” she said.
Pennridge junior Chris McKinney emphasized the importance of developing good habits at a young age.
“Middle school can be very intimidating, so having good advice is really important at a young age when they start developing habits and mimicking them,” Chris said. “We encourage people to be themselves.”
The program at the high school level is helping the younger students. It’s also leaving a lasting impression on the older peer educators. Senior Jessica Patton noted the importance of guiding younger peers, as they truly listen and seek guidance.
“When they graduate and go on to a university or the workplace, they will be in our communities applying these principles in their families and jobs, knowing how to step up and not be a passive bystander,” said Mary Worthington, NOVA’s primary prevention coordinator.
Through programs like this, Bucks County schools are shaping a new generation of leaders. These leaders stand up for others and spread kindness. They serve as powerful role models for the youth who follow in their footsteps.
Source:
- https://youtu.be/9TTfOTaNB6g?si=no-rpoOFHMRzZddQ
- https://6abc.com/upstander-anti-bullying-students-school/14704777/
- https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/education/2019/06/10/peers-tell-peers-be-upstander/4948772007/
- https://chatgpt.com/
- https://app.pictory.ai/
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