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Buena Park trustees hear student ambassadors describe anti-bullying “Take Action” project
Summary
District leaders and middle-school students on Jan. 13 outlined a student ambassador program that trains 20–25 students per school in leadership, public speaking and active listening and will send ambassadors into classrooms for anti-bullying dialogues in February.
The Buena Park School District governing board heard a presentation Jan. 13 on the district’s student ambassador program and its Take Action anti‑bullying project, which will send trained middle‑school ambassadors into classrooms for facilitated dialogues on Feb. 20 and Feb. 27.
District Superintendent Dr. Lee said the program “amplifie[s] student voice” and described retreats, weekly counselor meetings and community partnerships that develop leadership and communication skills among participating students. Madeline Morrison, the district’s director of student and community services, and Kate Strauss, district media and communications lead, presented program details and logistics.
The program selects 20 to 25 students at each middle school based on principal and counselor recommendations. At retreats hosted at the district office and off campus, students receive facilitation training and workshops; partner organization Scholar System conducted sessions at prior retreats. Morrison said activities emphasize public speaking, active listening and student‑led projects. “The Take Action Project is the culmination of this program,” Morrison said, describing how students identified bullying as their primary concern during a needs assessment and chose to lead classroom dialogues as their project.
Students from Buena Park Middle School and Beatty Middle School described the impact in their own words. “In this program, everyone really listens to what we have to say,” said Mateo, a seventh‑grader at Buena Park Middle School. Melanie, an eighth‑grader at Beatty, said the program “helped me become more confident.” Several students demonstrated an activity—using a tube of toothpaste and a crumpled paper heart—to show how hurtful words cannot be fully taken back and how bullying affects targets and bystanders.
Officials gave specific dates and next steps: a training retreat on Feb. 6; classroom dialogue days Feb. 20 (Buena Park Middle) and Feb. 27 (Beatty); and a final retreat and celebration April 27. Students also will lead new‑student and new‑family tours in spring. Counselors Ashley Rifstahl and Jody Rodriguez were named as weekly facilitators who support the ambassadors between retreats.
Board members praised the students’ presentations. Board Member Rodia Shed told students she had seen the program’s growth and commended counselors for their work; another trustee noted the program’s ability to foster empathy and skills that extend beyond academics.
The district said the ambassador activities include breakfast and lunch provided by the district’s nutritional services team for off‑campus retreats. No changes to policy or additional district funding requests were proposed during the presentation; the board heard the report and did not take formal action on program funding at the Jan. 13 meeting.
The ambassador program is multiyear and pairs sixth‑ through eighth‑grade students as mentors across cohorts. District staff and student presenters said the program intends to build “a lasting ripple effect” on school climate by putting students at the center of classroom conversations about bullying.
