Superintendent Pam Beaudoin and Principal Joanne Maino have announced that MERMS is partnering with the Anti-Defamation League’s A World of Difference Institute to provide anti-bias and anti-bullying training to students.
36 MERMS students – 24 in Grade 7 and 12 in Grade 8 – will participate in four days of training facilitated by the ADL to become Peer Training Advisors. After completing the 18 total hours of training, these students will run anti-bias and anti-bullying workshops for all middle school students, beginning their work in 2024.
Through the ADL’s A World of Difference Institute Peer Training Program, Peer Trainers learn to understand and challenge bias and bullying; practice anti-bias facilitation skills; and take on a leadership role in their schools, positively influencing school culture by challenging bias and modeling respect, allyship, and civility.
Student Advisors are Health Teacher Janda Ricci-Munn, Band and Music Teacher Joe Janack, and Principal Maino.
MERMS will collaborate with MERHS ADL student members on training and vertical alignment.
The MERMS Peer Trainers also will train students from around the state at the annual ADL Youth Congress in Boston in 2024.
This partnership with the ADL closely aligns to MERSD’s District Improvement Plan Initiatives to establish and foster an authentic K-12 learning environment, integrate social emotional learning, and celebrate and nurture an inclusive and diverse school culture that recognizes the contributions and uniqueness of all individuals.
“We are extremely proud of our students who are putting in the hard work to become Peer Leaders and Trainers. Through this work, they will help all middle school students learn about conscious and unconscious bias, understand ways they can prevent bullying in our schools, and sharpen our strong focus on tolerance, kindness, and compassion.” said Principal Maino. “It is important work that will help in fostering a safe, welcoming, and inclusive school community, which MERSD strives to provide every day.”
