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Respect For All National Coalition
The Respect For All ProjectThe Respect For All Project (RFAP) seeks to create safe, hate-free schools and communities. A program of GroundSpark, RFAP provides youth and the adults who guide their development the tools they need to engage in age-appropriate discussions about human difference, preventing prejudice and building caring communities. |
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The Respect For All Project (RFAP) has joined with the National Education Association, the Child Welfare League of America, the National Association of School Psychologists, the Association of Children's Museums, the American School Counselor Association, and the Afterschool Alliance to help create safe and secure communities for all by giving educators and youth service providers resources aimed at cultivating empathy and encouraging appreciation of difference among young people..
Using educational videos, teaching guides and training resources produced by The Respect For All Project, the National Respect For All Coalition provides training to educators, community service providers and museum educators at daylong events held at children's museums in cities nationwide.
Single evening trainings are held for presentations of That's a Family!, an award-winning film for children in grades K-6 that examines the many shapes and sizes of families today. The film features elementary school-age children who share what it's like to live in an array of family structures. These young people give their understanding of contemporary topics -- like race, adoption, separation or divorce, living with a guardian or a single parent, and what it's like to have gay parents -- in an age-appropriate way. This film is a wonderful peer learning tool for children in grades K-6 and a valuable springboard for adult discussion about the importance of recognizing family diversity.
The National Coalition also offers film screening and training with Let's Get Real to help communities address the prejudice behind name-calling and bullying with middle school-age youth. Let's Get Real is a powerful documentary that examines a variety of issues that lead to taunting and bullying, including racial differences, perceived sexual orientation, learning disabilities, religious differences, sexual harassment and others. The film not only gives a voice to targeted young people but also to those who do the bullying to find out why they lash out at their peers and how it makes them feel. As a peer learning tool, Let's Get Real has inspired honest dialogue that establishes an awareness about kids' own roles in society and what they can do to prevent prejudice and promote understanding.
About Coalition Workshops
Three hours in length, Coalition workshops are conducted by our experienced RFAP facilitators. The typical number of participants ranges from 45 to 85. A typical workshop agenda includes:
- Overview of the Respect for All Project model of Bias and Prejudice prevention
- Review of national demographics and statistics on:
- American Family Life (That's a Family!)
- Bullying, Violence, and Name-Calling (Let's Get Real)
- Viewing of the 35-minute film That's a Family! or Let's Get Real
- Group activities designed to build participants skill level with using the film and curriculum guides with students
- Overview of the accompanying curriculum guide
- Small group discussion focused on how to create safer schools and build welcoming communities for all
Who Should Attend a Coalition Event
- Anyone who works directly with students on a regular basis; ideally, K-6 for That's a Family! and grades 6-9 for Let's Get Real. This includes-but is not limited to-after-school care program leaders, community center staff, counselors, educators, librarians, social workers and mentors.
- Anyone who works in an organization/network/coalition dedicated to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of youth, or dedicated to the educational, psychological or all-around development of young people.
All participants receive a curriculum guide, a participant manual, and an RFAP pen. Each organization (or each site of an organization) represented at the training receives a free copy of the film.
Response
- 85% of trainees said that attending Coalition events increased their diversity awareness and made them more comfortable discussing these complex issues with kids.
- Over 90% of trainees said they left the workshop feeling "likely or very likely" to either use the film in their classroom/program or to recommend the film to a colleague.
Upcoming Events
Coalition events have been conducted in Baltimore, Boston, Cherry Hill, Chicago, Denver, Greensboro, Honolulu, Houston, Iowa City, Lincoln, Long Island, Los Angeles, New York, Omaha, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, San Jose, South Bend, St Paul, Tacoma, Tampa, Tucson and Washington D.C. Extensive school-site trainings have also been conducted for school districts in cities throughout California.