Not in My School, Not in My Rez brings together students from Indigenous communities and urban schools in an experience of co-learning and sharing of best practices to effectively tackle issues of bullying and lateral violence.

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Youth have an incredible appetite for addressing social issues together and supporting each other. Through Not in My School, Not in My Rez, we can harness their passion and creativity to transform our schools and communities. This programs helps make reconciliation a powerful reality for the youth, as they empower each other and grow together as leaders.

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We recognize that many schools have existing anti-bullying campaigns in place and programs for supporting their youth. We do not ask that participating schools adopt our training — our evidence-based training, which combines resources from the United States Institute of Peace and the International Institute for Restorative Practices, is available for those who are interested. The goal of Not in My School, Not in My Rez is to facilitate the sharing of best practices (i.e. what really works). In this regard, we are pairing schools so that students may learn from one another's respective programs and extract from them the strongest elements to create impactful strategies.

 

And while our training is not a requisite for participation in the program, we do hold as a tenet that there are elements of Indigenous culture and values that must be shared to enrich us all. 

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The true essence of empowerment is when young leaders take hold of what they have learned, spread their wings and help to equip and inspire others. Below are photos of our PeaceLeaders from Atahkakoop, Saskatchewan, motivating youth in Maskwacis, Alberta, to practice harmony and reach for their dreams during one of our National School Celebration events.