Since 2001, our Anti-Bullying and Conflict Resolution Program has been making a significant difference.

Since 2001, Sun Youth’s Anti-Bullying and Conflict Resolution Program has been making a difference in participating public schools in Montreal.

The younger generation of the Iasenza family presenting Director of Crime Prevention & Victim Services Helio Galego with their donation to Sun Youth’s Anti-Bullying and Conflict Resolution Program.

Through the program, schools have access to the organization’s Youth and Social Mentors, providing them with an additional resource in fostering positive relationships amongst students. In the short term, each student benefits; the program helps to decrease bullying and intimidation, strengthens social ties and develops team spirit. The full integration of social mentors in schools and supportive teachers and staff are important elements of success.

For the 2015 – 2016 school year Sun Youth has integrated two of its full-time Youth and Social Mentors in as many Montreal public schools: LaurenHill Academy Senior Campus and Bancroft Elementary School, reaching close to 500 elementary and high school students.

While both mentors share common activities, their interventions are tailored to the individual school environments and to the needs of the students and their teachers. These interventions can be on an individual basis or catered to groups. Mentors monitor the students in the cafeteria during lunch hour or attend classes of students with ADD to provide them with additional guidance, many schools lacking funds to offer individual support to students dealing with such issues.

Mediation between students is also a key element in the mentors’ daily interventions. Conflict resolution, fixing individual’s private issues, bullying prevention and working together with the concerned students to develop lasting solutions. Make students understand that their immediate actions can have negative repercussions on their adult life.

The guidance offered by Youth and Social mentors also covers helping the students with their homework and encouraging them to develop efficient studying and work techniques. When the work is all done, it’s time to play! Extracurricular activities such as social clubs (Girls Self-Esteem group, Boys’ Club), arts & crafts such as urban art classes, the creation of a mural or the production of a video about bullying and taxing and sports activities such as a girls football team and boot camp type training.

With the growing popularity of the program in Montreal public schools, Sun Youth is always seeking funding for this particular initiatives. Thankfully the organization is able to count on the support of faithful donors such le Centre des viandes F. Iasenza, who recently contributed over $3,500 towards the programs through various of their corporate fundraising events.