| Description |
SAVE SOMEBUDDY is a global initiative to simplify brain science into ordinary actions (Van der Kolk, 2014). Students are taught to "save yourself and help a buddy" by practicing program tools through a community focused buddy system intended to inspire a trauma-sensitive classroom and school environment. An ability to see through the eyes of others is imperative to understanding trauma. Therefore, survivors are potentially the best resource for sustainable solutions. The program addresses the roots of conflict: selfsabotage, traumatic ordeal, and suicide (SOS), while placing responsibility for these concerns in the hands of the people. To accomplish this objective, adult mentors from the community were paired with youth and adult students with a similar background and culture. For example, African refugee adults paired with African refugee students. This approach crossed cultural barriers and created a strong sense of community. Six outcomes were measured (improved communication, self-awareness, coping skills, positive self-perception, forming a trusting relationship with a peer, and experiencing a safe and supportive trauma-informed classroom). Six of the seven measures used indicated an improvement with the intervention. Statistical significance was shown for increased grit, health, and resiliency associated with improved communication, selfawareness, coping skills, and positive self-perception. There was also statistical significance for satisfaction for life related to improved positive self-perception, forming a trusting relationship with a peer, and experiencing a safe and supportive traumainformed classroom. The study was designed to examine the effectiveness of simple evidence-informed tools taught to students by adult community mentors with the clear intention to break the cycle of conflict and transform the lives of a new generation. |
