“The words you say have an effect on people…”
That was the main takeaway for a student named Ava, three years ago, following an eighth-grade exercise led by BridgeWays, a United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) partner agency. BridgeWays is an organization largely dedicated to helping young people develop their interpersonal skills, such as kindness, caring and respect.
The classroom exercise that Ava referred to involved a paper cut-out figure in the shape of a person called Bob. Students were told to say mean things to Bob and tear off pieces of his body with each negative comment. Then they apologized to him and taped his body back together.
“You look at Bob at the end, and you think, ‘Well, he’s put back together, but he’s scarred,’” Ava said. “The words you say have an effect on people, whether you see it or not.”
Today, Ava is a junior at Shelby County High School, where she serves as a Peer Mentor leading BridgeWays’ Character Development program called Outside-In, which is designed to help encourage empathy and prevent bullying. One key feature of the program is called “Outside-In Day.” It’s an all-day session where eighth graders are split into small groups, led by mentors, to talk about their various experiences, take part in activities and discover the similarities they share.
Trinity Gilliam is Program Manager of the Outside-In program and said that those daylong sessions often result in real breakthroughs for students. “When a student is in middle school, and they feel like they’re the only one going through a certain struggle, it’s really great to get them into small groups where they find community, and they find that others often share their experiences,” Gilliam said. “And outside of that day, these kids may have never spoken to each other before.”
Gilliam, who trains the Peer Mentors, said the decision to have high school students lead Outside-In Days was very intentional. “Even though the high school students haven’t been out of middle school that long, the eighth graders sense their additional maturity,” Gilliam said. “And more importantly, they see that the older students also understand what they’re going through.”
In addition to the positive impact the program has on middle school students, it gives high schoolers an opportunity for leadership training and service. Ava, who outside of school leads a group of competitive dancers, said participating in the Outside-In program as a mentor has helped her realize that she doesn’t know everything.
“Before starting this program, I was in a mindset where I didn’t think I could change. I didn’t think I could get any better,” Ava said. “But now I’ve realized that, as a leader, you can’t be stationary. You have to keep going forward and learn from your peers.”
In addition to Outside-In, BridgeWays offers a variety of classroom-based and virtual programming for schools throughout Central Alabama – programs ranging from anti-bullying to career prep. The organization also offers youth enrichment through its summer camp, after-school camp and outdoor education field trips.
For more information about all the ways United Way partners and programs work to support Youth Health & Wellness, click here.