What is the problem we are addressing?
Although students followed the PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention System), 3B’s (Be Responsible, Be Respectful and Be Safe) at QAW since 2011, the students did not seem to have much of a connection in applying them consistently, and did not take the accountability and ownership of them in a meaningful manner. There needed to be an effective student voice and ownership with leadership responsibilities school wide.
Therefore, in 2017, the QAW Ambassadors Program was implemented to promote students taking ownership of showing responsibility, respect and safe examples across the school to help their peers and school community. This would provide them with leadership responsibilities and student voice.
What is our solution?
QAW Stallion Ambassador’s Program primary purpose is supporting new or unconnected students and fostering relationships and connections with other student body and staff. This is the fourth year running since inception. Ambassadors follow school behavior and learning expectations; have good social and communication skills; develop positive relationships; good at problem solving; good peer role model and support social distancing guidelines. They meet once per month throughout the school year, and as needed; help new students with QAW orientation, questions/concerns; participate in team building activities with new students; create the vision and norms of the QAW Ambassador Program on school projects; Lead the school body in making QAW a safe and happy place to learn.
The Ambassadors help peers to solve problems using positive solutions; provide online learning tips for virtual students and during the COVID-19 lockdown provided health and safety tips in blended learning and social distance, they help promote school events such as the charity month, school orientation, and creating posters consisting of kind and positive statements for their peers. This has been printed and displayed on the walls in the school.
An overview of our impact
QAW Ambassadors across Grade 1 to High School work on team building activities, meeting once a month and provide support to their peers and/or new students with positive solutions or support. This has helped reduce behavior challenges across the school and any behavior challenges faced are low level. In addition, it promotes students to take on leadership responsibilities and involved in supporting their school community in different ways such as student orientation, events and distance learning tips during the COVID-19 lockdown. Students feel proud and enjoy being Ambassadors and more students ask to join or look forward to join the following academic year.
The impact to having Stallion Ambassadors is that students not only enjoy the leadership responsibility, but they learn and develop long life learning skills which will help them become competent and proud citizens of their country with prospects of professional careers. These skills help them to communicate with others locally and internationally.
Examples of implementation
There are many examples and some of them include…
- QAW Primary Stallion Ambassadors created posters for all students in primary to remind them of the essential etiquettes ‘The Awesome QAW student’. This took several months as they collected data to see what they wanted to improve and created statements they all agreed upon and chose illustrations, and designed the logos. This was then printed and placed on the school walls.
- QAW PYP and MYP students created videos to support their peers during the COVID-19 lockdown and on safety tips or distance learning engagement advice and blended learning once resumed to school through school platform social media and platforms.
- The Ambassadors are involved in touring the new students during orientation, and helping them with school routines or questions/concerns they may have.
- The Ambassadors are involved in preparing charity month event advertising/school events.
- Stallion Ambassadors come up with sustainable activities to do during the challenges we currently face.
- Some Ambassadors created a Primary Wellness Team, which provides activities for their peers at different age levels and a site with their resources and updates – a year project they created, to ensure that their peers wellbeing was taking care of as part of their responsibility as Stallion Ambassadors.
- Grade 5 are working on an Anti-bullying campaign this year.
What are our future goals?
The program has been successful each year and students are responsibly supporting their peers and problem solving in positive ways. The future goals with this program is to promote it to other schools in Qatar and/or worldwide. Also, for the Ambassadors to not only continue what they do, but to work on sustainable projects with their school and their country to support SDG goals.
Also, to have mentors in each grade level to support the Ambassadors with any skills or resources they need. I started that this year and I support the pilot mentors this year with working with Ambassadors in their grade level and I attend meetings to support what may be required from my end for the students or mentor.
How can someone else implement it? What do they need?
Any local or global school could implement this initiative by connecting with educators in their school for elections or nominations for two students per class in each grade level across Grade 1- High School. In the upper years more than two chosen from each gender is recommended. The criteria is based on good school behavior and learning expectations; good social and communication skills; develop positive relationships; good at problem solving; good peer role model and support social distancing guidelines. Also, skills are taught during monthly meetings or as needed. The students design logo for t-shirts in primary (choose days to be worn), and their badge school wide (worn daily).Teachers have the school list once the students have been elected/nominated for all staff members to know who they can approach and ask for support as needed.
The meetings are based on current/foreseeable issues and to come up with possible solutions and taking action. This keeps it authentic and real; it could be a grade level issue/school wide.
Tools and resources to support Ambassadors of any skill or team building activities should be provided to the Ambassadors to support them For example: how to support peers in coming up with using kind and positive words, listening or safety skills…
